Ariana Grande jamás habría podido convertirse en la clase de estrella pop capaz de definir una era si hubiera sido tímida o excesivamente cuidadosa con sus emociones. Es la artista que cantó con absoluta honestidad “This situationship has to end” en Eternal Sunshine mientras abordaba la disolución de su matrimonio. La misma que lanzó casualmente la línea “Look at you, boy, I invented you” en Thank U, Next, grabado después de romper un compromiso con alguien cuyo nombre terminó convertido en el título de una canción dentro de Sweetener. La misma que publicó Positions.
Grande no habría podido hacer ninguno de esos discos sin crear primero Dangerous Woman. Diez años después de su lanzamiento, el tercer álbum de estudio de la cantante sigue siendo fundamental en su evolución como una de las voces más importantes del pop, tanto en sentido figurado como literal — “Greedy” probablemente sea la canción más estridente que ha grabado hasta ahora. Pero, más allá de eso, Dangerous Woman fue decisivo para establecer el tipo de historias que Grande podía contar con esa voz implacable y las emociones que podía transmitir a través de ella. Puso el futuro del pop directamente en sus manos.
“Young Ariana run pop”, rapeó Nicki Minaj en “Side to Side”, el sencillo mejor posicionado del álbum. Todavía faltaban dos años para que Grande consiguiera su primer número uno —con “Thank U, Next” en 2018— y aun así, la afirmación de Minaj tenía mucho de verdad. El pop atravesaba un momento de transición en 2016: Rihanna y Beyoncé consolidaban sus legados con Anti y Lemonade, respectivamente. Las listas estaban dominadas principalmente por Drake y Justin Bieber. Mientras tanto, The Chainsmokers y Meghan Trainor también acumulaban éxitos importantes. Pero no había nadie moviéndose exactamente en el mismo espacio que Ariana Grande. Una cosa es tener una voz poderosa; otra muy distinta es controlarla de la forma en que ella lo hace a lo largo de Dangerous Woman.
“Into You” es uno de los ejemplos más claros de lo que significa un clásico instantáneo dentro de la historia reciente del pop. “La primera frase, ese ‘I’m so into you / I can barely breathe’, es quizá lo más cercano a la perfección pop que he escuchado”, dijo Lorde pocos días después de que “Into You” fuera lanzada como el segundo sencillo de Dangerous Woman. Grande canta esa línea en un tono bajo, no exactamente un susurro, pero sí algo igual de frágil y entrecortado. Conforme se acerca al explosivo primer coro, su voz gana intensidad hasta consumir por completo la canción con una exigencia desafiante: “Baby, come light me up”. Y luego llega ese puente hipnótico que eleva el tema de extraordinario a magistral.
“Touch It” resulta igual de vertiginosa de principio a fin. Cada vez que parece haber alcanzado su punto máximo, Ariana Grande va todavía más lejos, avanzando con notas agudas implacables y runs vocales demoledores. La percusión contundente de “Thinking Bout You”, la canción que cierra el álbum, replica el ritmo acelerado de un corazón expectante. Apenas detrás del beat, armonías etéreas giran alrededor de Grande mientras intenta aferrarse a un abrazo fantasma y la canción escala hacia un puente explosivo. “I’ve been waiting patient, patiently/’Cause I don’t have you here with, here with, here with me”, canta. Entonces llega esa liberación eufórica y total: “But at least I have the memory”. El tema se siente como un precursor natural de “Imagine” de Thank U, Next o “Better Off” de Sweetener, canciones que necesitan escucharse con los ojos cerrados para realmente sentirlas.
Gran parte del álbum fue creada junto a Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh y Savan Kotecha, además de Tommy Brown. Con créditos en 10 de las 15 canciones del disco, fue el proyecto en el que Grande estuvo más involucrada en el proceso de composición hasta ese momento de su carrera. Actualmente, la cantante trabaja como compositora y coproductora junto a Martin y Salmanzadeh, quienes se han convertido en sus colaboradores más cercanos. Su ya característica forma de producción vocal —superponiendo capas y capas de armonías etéreas en arreglos intrincados— comenzó a tomar forma precisamente en Dangerous Woman. Lo mismo ocurrió con su voz narrativa. Grande entiende con precisión cómo ha evolucionado el pop durante la última década, no solo como forma artística, sino también como una especie de archivo emocional de la vida de un artista.
Como título de álbum, Dangerous Woman es tan directo como otros discos pop que lo precedieron, como Good Girl Gone Bad de Rihanna o Stripped de Christina Aguilera. También es importante recordar que, hace una década, la conversación alrededor de prácticamente cualquier mujer dentro del pop estaba completamente ligada a la expectativa de representar una determinada idea de feminismo. Algo tan común como abrazar la propia sexualidad era presentado como un acto radical, en lugar de simplemente permitir que las mujeres existieran como son. Y aun así, Dangerous Woman casi nunca se siente como un álbum desesperado por convencer al público de ver a Ariana Grande bajo una nueva luz, incluso en los momentos que peor han envejecido. La declaración “We got that hood love/We got that good love/We got that hot love” en “Bad Decisions” se equilibra con una ironía consciente: “Ain’t you ever seen a princess be a bad bitch?”
Incluso con apenas 22 años, Grande ya construía una narrativa intrigante alrededor de su figura pop. En la segunda mitad de “Knew Better / Forever Boy”, una canción dividida en dos partes que rompe, supera y vuelve a enamorarse en menos de cinco minutos, canta: “Never been with a boy more than six months/I couldn’t do it, got too used to it”. No suena como una confesión, sino como un hecho. Ahí empieza el camino hacia canciones como “The Boy Is Mine” y “Twilight Zone” en Eternal Sunshine, donde canta: “Why do I still protect you?/Pretend these songs aren’t about you/Hope this might be the last one/’Cause I’m not fooling anyone”. Existe una intimidad muy particular en la forma en que Grande escribe sobre las relaciones: directa en su interpretación, pero plenamente consciente de la curiosidad de su audiencia. La primera línea que escuchamos en “Let Me Love You”, su colaboración con Lil Wayne, es: “I just broke up with my ex.”
El pop tampoco pareció entregarse completamente a Ariana Grande hasta que Sweetener y Thank U, Next la impulsaron hacia la cima absoluta del género. Fue entonces cuando resultó imposible separar la narrativa de su vida de su música. El atentado durante la fecha de Manchester del Dangerous Woman Tour en 2017 y la muerte de su expareja y colaborador Mac Miller en 2018 proyectaron una enorme sombra de duelo sobre su carrera. Con cada nuevo lanzamiento, parte del público comenzó a tratarla con una fragilidad exagerada que ignoraba la determinación que ya había demostrado en Dangerous Woman. La audacia presente en ese disco no surgía como respuesta al trauma o a la tragedia; recuperarse y seguir adelante siempre había sido parte de su forma de mantenerse en pie.
El blues contenido de “I Don’t Care” es uno de los momentos más subestimados de Dangerous Woman. La canción funciona como un antecedente evidente de “Shut Up” en Positions y “True Story” en Eternal Sunshine, no solo en sonido, sino también en contenido. “Now I laugh about the things that used to be important to me/Used to have a hold on me”, canta. “Like what do you think, and what he thinks, and what they think/But I love me.” En los años posteriores a Dangerous Woman, Grande necesitaría cada vez más ese tipo de reafirmaciones. Aprender a bloquear el ruido externo evitó que ese ruido terminara ahogando su voz. Esa claridad también le permitió perfeccionar sus habilidades como compositora y productora mientras la transformación artística que comenzó en Dangerous Woman terminaba de completarse.
Dangerous Woman llevó a Ariana Grande de ser una fabricante de hits a convertirse en una figura capaz de marcar el rumbo del pop. Durante un tiempo, parecía cómoda ocupando el primer lugar. De hecho, el álbum estuvo cerca de llamarse Moonlight, como la balada inspirada en el doo-wop que abre el disco. “Focus”, el sencillo cargado de metales lanzado en 2015, originalmente iba a ser el tema principal del proyecto. Pero ambas canciones retomaban terrenos que Grande ya había explorado antes. “Focus”, que finalmente quedó fuera del álbum, habría encajado mucho mejor en My Everything junto a canciones como “One Last Time”, “Problem” y “Break Free”. Por otro lado, “Moonlight” remitía directamente a Yours Truly, su debut de 2013. Dangerous Woman necesitaba ser distinto. El cambio de dirección permitió que la influencia R&B presente desde sus primeros lanzamientos pasara finalmente al frente, sin abandonar nunca su posición dentro del pop.
The post <i>‘Dangerous Woman’</i> puso el futuro del pop en manos de Ariana Grande appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
Judeline continúa expandiendo el universo emocional de su música con ‘pequeñita!’, un sencillo atravesado por la vulnerabilidad y la introspección. La canción funciona como un diálogo entre Lara Fernández Castrelo y su niña interior, abordando temas como la memoria, el miedo, la identidad y la necesidad de reconciliación personal.
Con una producción minimalista desarrollada junto a Mateo Arias y Blanda, ‘pequeñita!’ apuesta por una instrumentación contenida donde los sintetizadores suaves y los espacios de silencio acompañan la fragilidad interpretativa de Judeline. Lejos de estructuras explosivas o momentos grandilocuentes, la canción construye una atmósfera íntima que sostiene el peso emocional de la letra.
Desde los primeros versos, la artista deja claro el tono confesional del tema: “Lara eres tan pequeñita, mira delante de ti”. A partir de ahí, la canción desarrolla una conversación entre dos versiones de la misma persona: la adulta que observa el pasado y la niña que carga con la soledad y las heridas emocionales de la infancia.
La línea “hoy te dejaron solita, no siempre va a ser así” resume uno de los ejes centrales de la canción: la necesidad de consuelo y protección frente a experiencias dolorosas que persisten en la memoria. Sin recurrir al dramatismo, Judeline construye un relato emocional sostenido desde la ternura y la contención.
Nacida en Jerez de la Frontera y criada en Los Caños de Meca, Lara Fernández Castrelo se ha consolidado como una de las voces más singulares de la nueva música española. Tras mudarse a Madrid a los diecisiete años, comenzó a desarrollar el proyecto artístico de Judeline, donde combina elementos de pop alternativo, electrónica y sensibilidad andaluza.
Uno de los momentos más significativos de ‘pequeñita!’ llega con el verso “Sé que hubo un momento dentro mía no hubo sitio para ti y cambié mi nombre”, donde la cantante conecta el crecimiento personal con la construcción de una nueva identidad. La referencia funciona tanto desde lo emocional como desde la creación del propio personaje artístico de Judeline.
La canción también incorpora imágenes espirituales y protectoras que refuerzan su dimensión emocional. Frases como “Hoy susurraste a una estrella pero te escuchaba Dios” o “Y si cuando duermas sientes miedo de lo que pueda venir, mataré a ese hombre” amplían el relato hacia una idea de cuidado y resguardo frente al miedo y la vulnerabilidad.
The post Judeline le canta a su niña interior en ‘<i>pequeñita</i>!’ appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
Neil Young made his first live appearance of 2026 on Friday (May 22), delivering a surprise acoustic set at a benefit concert in Vancouver honouring the 90th birthday of his friend, Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki.
Young performed two solo acoustic songs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre — strumming “Heart of Gold” before moving to the piano for a rendition of “After the Gold Rush” with added harmonica. It marked his first performance since the Painted Turtle benefit show on Oct. 25, 2025, and comes months after the 80-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer cancelled all of his 2026 tour dates.
Also appearing at the Suzuki birthday event were Jane Fonda, Al Gore, Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Cockburn and Chantal Kreviazuk. The concert raised funds for the David Suzuki Foundation.
The surprise appearance came after Young abruptly cancelled a planned European tour in February, citing no specific reason. “I have decided to take a break and will not be touring Europe this time,” he wrote at the time. “Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. I’m sorry to let you down, but this is not the time.” He later reassured fans that “all is good” and that he was “listening to my body.”
Despite the absence from the stage, Young has remained active creatively. He recently completed a new studio album titled Second Song, recorded with the Chrome Hearts at producer Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California, which he has said includes two unheard songs from 1964 that have never been released. A new live album with the Chrome Hearts, As Time Explodes, is due May 29.
Young’s only solo Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 remains “Heart of Gold,” which topped the chart on March 18, 1972, from his landmark album Harvest — the best-selling album of 1972 and one of the most celebrated records in rock history. “After the Gold Rush” is the title track from his acclaimed 1970 album of the same name, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.
With his recent triple drop, Drake establishes a new record on Australia’s albums chart.
The Canadian hip-hop star dominates the ARIA Albums Chart as Iceman debuts at No. 1, Maid Of Honour bows at No. 5 and Habibti is new at No. 6 (all via Republic/Universal). And with that feat, he becomes the first artist to crack the top 10 with three new albums in the same frame since the ARIA Charts were first published in 1983.
That bests previous efforts by Guns N’ Roses and Bruce Springsteen, according to ARIA. GN’R landed a double in 1991 when Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II debuted at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the same week, while The Boss did the same the following year, in 1992, with Human Touch (No. 3) and Lucky Town (No.6).
Drizzy now boasts 16 solo and collaborative top 10 albums including, including leaders Views (from 2016), Scorpion (2018), Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020), Certified Lover Boy (2021) and For All The Dogs (2023).
Also making a strong start on the ARIA Albums Chart is Genesis Owusu, the beloved Aussie rock-star whose third album Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge (Ourness), opens its account at No. 3. That’s a career-best effort for the Canberra-raised artist, after his multiple award-winning 2021 debut Smiling With Now Teeth peaked at No. 27, and 2023 followup Struggler went to No. 4.
Further down the ARIA Chart for Monday, May 25, the complete version of British emo artist Yungblud’s IDOLS (Interscope/Universal) pops at No. 27; rising L.A. pop-country singer Stella Lefty’s Is This Heaven? (Warner Music) is at No. 28; and homegrown rock outfit Rose Carleo Band bows at No. 34 with their debut LP 42 Days (Checked Label Services).
The Drake dump makes a major impact on the ARIA Singles Chart, too. All told, 15 Drake singles enter the ARIA Top 50 this week, including five in the top 10: “National Treasures” at No. 4, “Janice STFU” at No. 5, “Whisper My Name” at No. 6, “Make Them Cry” at No. 9 and “Dust” at No. 10.
Drake is closing in on 100 career top 50 hits in these parts. Including collaborations, he boasts 98 appearances on the chart, including No. 1s with “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla from 2016, and “God’s Plan,” “Nice For What” and “In My Feelings” in 2018.
At the top of the leaderboard is Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” (Sony Music), which enters a second week at No. 1.
Fuerza Regida opened its Sueños 2026 headlining set with “Marlboro Rojo,” and within seconds, the mood at Grant Park tipped from festival excitement into something sweatier, louder and a little less stable. By Sunday night (May 24), the San Bernardino group had turned the final stretch of one of the country’s biggest Latin music festivals into a full-blown corridos fever dream — the kind with girls screaming, bodies giving out near the barricade and songs hitting hard enough to feel almost physical.
That was always going to be part of the story. In a conversation with Billboard before the set, the group reflected on playing the inaugural Sueños in 2022 without top billing and coming back this year to headline — a move they said they had already “manifested.” After a run that included their groundbreaking album IIIXPANTIA (2025) and an even bigger grip on the corridos conversation, the upgrade felt earned.
JOP hit the stage in a black trench coat, beanie and sunglasses, serving regional Mexican menace with just enough rockstar vanity to send the front rows into overdrive. The screaming started instantly. So did the phones. At a certain point, the reaction around him stopped feeling like regular festival fandom and started reading more like mass devotion — primal, messy, borderline unwell. But Fuerza Regida’s pull is bigger than one frontman. As a band, they’ve figured out how to make corridos hit like adrenaline, and Sueños felt fully locked into that frequency.
The set moved with the loose, cocky energy of artists who knew they could afford to have fun. Chuyin — the masked Street Mob artist whose debut album recently landed on the Billboard charts — popped up for “Pues Ya Ni Pedo.” Chino Pacas returned to the stage for “Qué Onda.” Los Gemelos de Sinaloa and Clave Especial added to the sense that this was less a tightly controlled headline slot than a rolling onstage link-up between artists moving inside the same orbit. One of the most electric pivots came from Moises López, usually posted up with the tololoche, who assumed vocal duties for the first time live and ripped off his shirt mid-hype like the assignment was to keep pushing the temperature higher.
And then there were the pauses. More than once, the set had to stop while distressed fans fainted were attended to and pulled out, carts repeatedly cutting through the crowd. Call it the Michael Jackson effect, call it overstimulation, call it what happens when a band gets big enough to short-circuit the people trying to see it up close. Whatever the label, the point landed.
Sueños ended on Fuerza Regida’s terms: corridos at full volume, guests in rotation, fans hanging on by a thread. Next up, the group takes that same energy on the road with Esto No Es Un Tour, which kicks off its U.S. stadium run on June 18 at Petco Park in San Diego.
With Drake’s ICEMAN debuting at No. 1 on the latest Billboard 200 albums chart (dated May 30), the superstar picks up his 15th leader. In turn, he ties Taylor Swift for the most No. 1s among soloists. Drake and Swift trail just one act, The Beatles, who have the most No. 1s among all acts, with 19. JAY-Z now follows Drake and Swift, with 14 leaders.
Take a look at the list of every act with at least 10 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — since the chart began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March 1956 — below.
In addition to his latest No. 1 achievement, Drake now has 20 top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, counting the debuts of ICEMAN, HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR. That makes him the rap act with the most top 10s, surpassing Future, who has 18.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 30, 2026-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 27 (a day later than usual due to the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. on May 25). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Dylan Gossett is returning to Australia and New Zealand this December for The Headed Out Back Tour, his second run through the region following a breakthrough year that has established the 27-year-old Texas singer-songwriter as one of country music’s most in-demand live draws.
The six-date tour opens at The Ice Cream Factory in Perth on Dec. 3 before heading to Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane (Dec. 5), the Sydney Opera House Forecourt (Dec. 6) and Festival Hall in Melbourne (Dec. 8). The New Zealand leg follows with shows at Auckland’s Town Hall (Dec. 11) and Waipara Winehouse in North Canterbury (Dec. 12). Artist presale begins Tuesday, May 26 at 12 p.m. local time, with general on sale opening Friday, May 29 at 1 p.m. local time.
The tour is promoted by Live Nation and marks Gossett’s return to the region off the back of his 2025 debut album Westward, released via Big Loud Texas/Mercury Records. The self-written and self-produced record — a thematic exploration of love, family, faith and the pursuit of a lifelong dream — was led by singles “Like I Do,” “American Trail” and “Sweet Lady,” and was followed by a deluxe edition featuring three additional tracks.
Gossett first broke through in 2023 with “Coal,” a single that has since surpassed 500 million streams, cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.K. Official Singles Chart, and earned multi-platinum certifications worldwide. He has since built a catalogue of Gold-certified singles including “Beneath Oak Trees,” “To Be Free” and “If I Had A Lover,” and has sold more than 200,000 headline tickets worldwide.
His festival credits include Stagecoach, SXSW, CMA Fest, Country 2 Country and Austin City Limits, alongside his Grand Ole Opry debut and support slots for Noah Kahan and Morgan Wallen.
Dylan Gossett: The Headed Out Back Tour — Australia & New Zealand 2026
Dec. 3 — Perth, AUS — The Ice Cream Factory
Dec. 5 — Brisbane, AUS — Fortitude Music Hall
Dec. 6 — Sydney, AUS — Sydney Opera House Forecourt
Dec. 8 — Melbourne, AUS — Festival Hall
Dec. 11 — Auckland, NZ — Town Hall
Dec. 12 — North Canterbury, NZ — Waipara Winehouse
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KPop Demon Hunters is finally getting a physical release.
Almost a year after it first debuted on Netflix, the hit animated musical is set for a Criterion Collection release on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD. This marks the first time the film has been available for viewing outside of streaming, save for a brief theatrical run last summer and a second run of a “sing-along” version last fall.
NEW RELEASE
KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
Amazon is showing a release date of Dec. 31 for the KPop Demon Hunters Criterion Collection disc, though it may just be a placeholder (the cover art seen at right is also not finalized). The release date has moved a few times according to the Amazon listing, and it’s likely Sony Pictures will want to have the Blu-ray and DVD out before the holidays for gifting season.
Not much is known about the upcoming physical release, though Criterion Collection editions usually include bonus content and some sort of upscaled audio and visual presentation. To wit: the Amazon listing includes a 4K version of the film on Blu-ray. And the writers of the film have teased a number of deleted scenes, including a sub-plot modeled on the “Idol Star Athletics Championships,” a competition event in Korea that features K-pop idols competing in sports and team challenges.
Past Criterion Collection editions, like the recently released Monty Python’s Life of Brian, have included everything from audio commentary from the cast and crew, to a “making of” documentary, and animated stills. As the distribution company states on its website, Criterion is dedicated to promoting a film “as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations” and with “special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.”
![KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]](https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kpop-demon-hunters-bluray_1830c1.jpg?w=942&h=623&crop=1)
ALSO AVAILABLE
KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]
Pre-order KPop Demon Hunters on Blu-ray, DVD or 4K Ultra HD now on Amazon.com. Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee ensures that you’ll only be charged whatever the lowest price is between the time you order the film and the day it’s officially released.
Worth noting: Netflix films almost never get a physical release, let alone a Criterion Collection edition, so this is a big deal for fans and collectors alike. Already the most-viewed original title in Netflix history, KPop Demon Hunters, also took home two Oscars, for Best Animated Feature, and Best Original Song for the hit single, “Golden.”
For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard’s roundup of the best KPop Demon Hunters merch, and shop the official trading cards release here.
About the Author
Tim Chan is the VP of Commerce at Penske Media, overseeing fashion, tech, lifestyle and streaming coverage across marquee brands like Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and WWD, among others. Previously, Chan was the first-ever Lifestyle Editor at Rolling Stone, covering all things fashion, culture and travel through an entertainment lens. In addition to PMC, his bylines over the years have appeared in L’Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Korea, i-D and more. Chan has also consulted for a number of fashion brands, advising them on media and marketing strategy. He graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in journalism. A big K-pop fan, Chan has interviewed groups like Monsta X, EXO and Enhypen and recently hosted a keynote chat with KPop Demon Hunters creator Maggie Kang at the Departure Festival in Toronto.
The Pretty Reckless have released “Dear God,” the title track from their forthcoming fifth studio album, due June 26 via Fearless Records.
The track arrives as the band’s fourth single from the album, following lead single “For I Am Death” — which became their eighth No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, the most by any woman-fronted act in the chart’s history — “When I Wake Up,” currently sitting at No. 4 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and last month’s “Love Me.”
Where the earlier singles leaned into intensity and grit, “Dear God” pulls toward something more haunting — a slow-building track led by Taylor Momsen’s vocals that climbs toward an electrifying guitar solo, with lyrics framing a desperate plea for escape.
“Dear God is desperation set to music,” Momsen said in a statement. “When life gets that physical, that brutal, you leave your body and start begging something bigger than yourself to pull you out. That space between heaven and hell isn’t a metaphor. It’s somewhere you actually live.”
DEAR GOD — the album — is described as the band’s most emotionally raw and uncompromising record to date, written with what the band calls diaristic honesty. The 14-track set includes “Life Evermore” across three parts bookending the album, alongside “Dragonfire,” “Eye of the Storm” and closer “Devil in Disguise (Michelle’s Song).” A headlining world tour in support of the album has already been announced, kicking off in North America with dates in New Orleans, Dallas and Los Angeles before heading to Europe.
The release arrives at a milestone-heavy stretch for the band. In 2025 they completed a two-year run supporting AC/DC on the PWR UP Tour, performed with Soundgarden at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and appeared at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala honouring Mariah Carey. Their holiday EP Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas produced a reimagined version of “Where Are You Christmas?” that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
Neutro Shorty’s El Disco de Salsa has topped this week’s new music poll.
In a poll published Friday (May 22) by Billboard, music fans selected the Venezuelan rapper’s latest album as their favorite new release of the week.
El Disco de Salsa (the salsa album) earned 75% of the vote, outperforming new releases from Olivia Rodrigo (“The Cure”), Greeicy (Candela), Charli xcx (“SS26”), Lola Young (“From Down Here”), Brandi Carlile (“Life on the Run”), and others.
Since rising to prominence in 2012 with his 5 Historias mixtape, Neutro Shorty (born Liomar Ricardo Acosta Orta) has been recognized as one of the pioneers of Venezuela’s trap scene.
On the new project, he shifts away from his signature rap style, embracing a more melodic approach for a full-length salsa album. The 12-track set draws inspiration from salsa brava, a genre popularized in 1970s New York by acts such as the Fania All-Stars.
The Caracas-born artist also earns co-signs from several salsa legends on the album, including Gilberto Santa Rosa on “Un Consejo,” Porfi Baloa — founder of Los Adolescentes — on “Infidelidad,” and Oscar D’León on a rendition of Willie Colón’s classic “Idilio.”
Rodrigo’s “The Cure” came in second on the poll with nearly 17% of the vote. The track is the second single from the three-time Grammy winner’s upcoming third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which arrives on June 12.
Greeicy followed in third place with Candela, which earned 3% of the vote. The project brings together the Colombian singer’s latest hits alongside new tracks that move away from the pop-urban sound that first made her a breakout star.
Check out the full results of this week’s poll below, and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear new releases.
