Taylor Swift’s wedding look included a few major designer names — and one familiar link to her record-breaking The Eras Tour wardrobe.

The pop superstar wore Christian Dior Haute Couture to marry Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday (July 3), according to a statement Swift’s rep shared with Billboard. The ceremony looks for both Swift and Kelce were designed by Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Dior Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections, in close collaboration with the bride and groom.

The dress marks Anderson’s first couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity, according to the statement. Swift completed her bridal look with Cartier jewelry, while both she and Kelce wore custom Christian Louboutin shoes.

The Louboutin detail is a notable one for Swift fans. On its official website, Christian Louboutin notes that Swift wore custom bejeweled styles from the designer throughout the European leg of The Eras Tour, with the Maison creating custom and existing silhouettes in different shapes, heel heights and colorways.

Those designs included crystal-covered Eleonora Botta boots for the “Lover” portion of the show, Cate boots for “Fearless,” a custom lace-up ankle boot for Folklore and Evermore, and the CL Moc Lug loafer for “Red,” according to the designer.

The official wedding-style details follow Swift and Kelce’s Friday night ceremony at Madison Square Garden, where they married in front of family and friends. The couple did not have traditional bridesmaids or groomsmen; instead, Swift’s brother Austin served as her man of honor, while Jason Kelce was Travis’ best man. Actor-comedian Adam Sandler, whose movie Happy Gilmore 2 featured a cameo from Kelce, officiated the ceremony.

Swift and Kelce’s relationship began in 2023 after the Kansas City Chiefs tight end attended one of her shows in Kansas City and later revealed on New Heights that he had hoped to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. The couple announced their engagement in August 2025 with Instagram photos from Kelce’s flower-garden proposal, captioning the post, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Over the course of their romance, Swift penned several songs that are almost definitely about Kelce, including “So High School” and “The Alchemy” from 17-week Billboard 200-topping album The Tortured Poets Department, as well as Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite” from The Life of a Showgirl. 

Official photos of Swift’s bridal look had not yet been released as of Friday evening.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have finally tied the knot on their love story, getting married in front of friends and family at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday (July 3). A sign, which MSG shared a photo of on Instagram, outside of the world famous venue confirmed they had exchanged their vows. “JUST&T MARRIED!” read the black text over pink background.

Swift’s rep also confirmed the happy news to People, revealing that the pop superstar and football player wore outfits designed by Christian Dior Haute Couture. The couple did not have traditional bridesmaids or groomsmen, but Swift’s brother Austin was her man of honor, while Jason Kelce was Travis’ best men, the statement to the magazine revealed. Actor-comedian Adam Sandler officiated the nuptials.

View this post on Instagram

The couple’s nuptials come a little less than a year after they announced their engagement following two years of dating. In August 2025, they shared photos on Instagram from the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s flower-garden proposal — as well as Swift’s massive diamond ring — and wrote adorably, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Fans have since been impatiently awaiting the big day, with speculation over the wedding’s date and location reaching a fever pitch in June as reports started surfacing that Swift and Kelce would use MSG as their venue on Fourth of July weekend. More commotion over the event came with the news that it would coincide with NYC’s most severe heatwave so far this year, with temperatures reaching triple digits on the day they said “I do.”

“If you happen to be getting married at Madison Square Garden, you will be staying inside and you will be staying cool,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani joked at a press conference about the extreme weather days before the wedding. “I think it’s a good example to set for the city at large.”

Swift and Kelce have been together since the summer of 2023. After the football player attended one of her Eras Tour shows in Kansas City that year, he grumbled on his and brother Jason’s New Heights podcast about his failed mission to meet the 14-time Grammy winner backstage, where he’d hoped to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. The episode caught the attention of Swift’s mom, Andrea, who encouraged her daughter to give Travis a chance.

“I call up my resident expert on Kansas City Chiefs, my cousin Robin, and I go, ‘Tell me about this guy named Travis Kelce,’” Andrea recalled in an episode of Swift’s Eras Tour docuseries on Disney+. “She goes, ‘Oh my god, he’s the nicest guy, and you know what? He really loves his mom.’ And I went, ‘Ding ding ding.’”

Swift and Kelce hard-launched their relationship shortly after that, with the hitmaker attending one of Kansas City’s games to cheer on her then-boyfriend from a box suite. That would be the start of many Arrowhead Stadium visits for Swift, while the football player began attending a series of Eras shows across the globe. During one of her stops in London, he even joined her on stage for a surprise cameo.

“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there, and we don’t care,” Swift told TIME for her 2023 Person of the Year interview. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”

Over the course of their romance, Swift penned a number of songs that are almost definitely about Kelce, including “So High School” and “The Alchemy” from 17-week Billboard 200-topping album The Tortured Poets Department, as well as Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite” from The Life of a Showgirl. Swift first announced the latter album on New Heights; while she was busy recording the episode, a crew was secretly setting up a romantic proposal scene outside.

Now, as the couple closes out their engagement era and steps into a new chapter as husband and wife, they’re making sure to spread the love. One day before their nuptials, Swift’s rep announced that the pop superstar and Kelce had donated $26 million to a variety of charities located across the United States in cities with special meaning to them, including their hometowns as well as Nashville and Kansas City, where Swift and Kelce respectively began their careers.

Madonna and her daughter, Lola Leon, are opening up about the emotional experience of collaborating on Confessions II song “The Test.”

During an interview Thursday (July 2) with Bob the Drag Queen on “iHeartRadio and TikTok LIVE Premiere With Madonna,” the mother-daughter duo discussed the making of the song, which was written by Madonna and Leon, produced by Stuart Price, with additional production from Arca.

Bob the Drag Queen kicked off the conversation by asking whose idea it was to create “The Test,” which marks the Queen of Pop’s first official musical team-up with her 29-year-old eldest daughter.

“It was my idea,” Leon responded, explaining that “there’s a lot of things that are unspoken” in a mother-daughter relationship.

View this post on Instagram

“There’s a lot of love that’s unspoken, but also a lot of tension and emotions that kind of are difficult to put into words, because it can be so emotional,” she said. “A way that I thought would be easier for us to speak about these things would be maybe through art, which is always something that my mom and I have connected over. That’s really brought us together.”

Madonna described the songwriting process as “a very magical moment,” adding that they both “had to be vulnerable.”

“The Test” finds Madonna reflecting on the ways her global fame affected Leon, who inspired Ray of Light and was 9 years old when the Confessions on a Dance Floor era began in 2005.

“You didn’t ask for all the flashing lights,” Madonna sings on the track. “I didn’t think of how it could disturb/ Or how it hurt/ I wish I knew the pain I’ve caused/ My butterfly was always being watched.”

Leon also revealed that, before entering the studio to record “The Test,” she had a dream about her maternal grandmother.

“It was kind of unclear what she said, but I just felt her presence,” she said. “It left me wondering what kind of person I would be if she was alive, and what kind of person you would be if she was alive, and what our relationship would be like. Those questions will always be unanswered, but I think it was a really beautiful way to honor her and heal each other through her eyes, kind of as a spirit.”

View this post on Instagram

Asked whether she had to work up the courage to ask her mother to collaborate, Leon said she wasn’t nervous.

“Not really,” she responded. “She’s a very intimidating person and I have found that I’m not intimidated by many people as a result of her being my mom.”

Leon (who has recorded as Lolahol) released her debut single, “Lock & Key,” in 2022, along with her GO EP that same year. The model, dancer and singer was born to Madonna and dancer and fitness trainer Carlos Leon in 1996. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2018, where she studied dance.

Confessions II, Madonna’s 15th studio album, features 16 tracks, including collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter, Feid, Martin Garrix, and Stromae.

Ahead of the album’s Friday (July 3) release, Madonna partnered with iHeartRadio and TikTok for an exclusive preview event. The “iHeartRadio and TikTok LIVE Premiere With Madonna” streamed Thursday, giving fans around the world a first listen to the album one day before its official release. Viewers could tune in via @tiktok, @madonna and @iheartradio, while more than 200 iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. also broadcast the event.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s star-studded guest list is arriving in New York City ahead of the couple’s highly anticipated wedding ceremony.

As anticipation builds for the nuptials, dozens of celebrities were spotted making their way to Madison Square Garden, where the pop superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end are expected to tie the knot on Friday (July 3).

Among those seen arriving were Swift’s longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, the singer’s best friend Abigail Anderson, and close friend Gigi Hadid, who attended with boyfriend Bradley Cooper. Dakota Johnson and Mariska Hargitay were also spotted heading to the iconic venue, according to People.

Ed Sheeran and his wife, Cherry Seaborn, were also seen before the celebration, while Lena Dunham and the Haim sisters made their way to the venue. Ellie Goulding was photographed arriving, Benson Boone was spotted outside Madison Square Garden, and Camila Cabello shared a TikTok video documenting her ride to the event.

The Chicks appeared to share a pre-wedding selfie on Instagram, while Sombr posted a TikTok video of himself dressed for the occasion. Other musicians reportedly seen ahead of the ceremony included Brad Paisley, Aaron Dessner, Lucy Dacus, Miranda Lambert, MGK, The Chainsmokers, Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney and Kelsea Ballerini.

The sports world was also well represented. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, sports broadcaster Charissa Thompson, and former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman were seen leaving their hotel, while San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and his wife, Claire, arrived together, according to People. Athletes Kyle Juszczyk, Cooper Kupp, Julian Edelman, Jared Wiley, Justin Thomas, Chris Jones, Mecole Hardman Jr., Abby Wambach, and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel were also seen.

Additional celebrity guests spotted included Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke, Jimmy Fallon, Tommy Hilfiger, Karlie Kloss, Zoë Kravitz, Jason Sudeikis, Julianne Moore, George Stephanopoulos, Graham Norton, Bowen Yang and Nikki Glaser.

The festivities began the night before. On Thursday (July 2), guests were seen arriving at Madison Square Garden for the couple’s rehearsal dinner, People reports.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting Swift and Kelce’s big day for weeks, with speculation surrounding the wedding’s date and location reaching a fever pitch in June after reports surfaced that the couple would host their ceremony at Madison Square Garden over Fourth of July weekend.

Jon Pardi and Summer Pardi have announced they are splitting.

On Friday (July 3), the 41-year-old country singer and his wife, 37, shared a joint statement on social media revealing that they are divorcing after five years of marriage.

The pair, who wed in November 2020, are parents to daughters Presley Fawn, 3, and Sienna Grace, 2.

“After much thought, we have made the difficult decision to end our marriage,” they wrote on Instagram post. “Our daughters will always remain our highest priority and we are committed to moving forward with love and respect as co-parents.”

The pair added, “Thank you so much for your understanding, support, and respect as we navigate these changes as a family.”

Shortly after posting the news, the “Dirt on My Boots” singer shared another message on his Instagram Stories.

“While I navigate this next chapter, I’m going to take some time away from social media to focus on myself and my family,” he wrote. “Thanks to you all for the love and support. My team will handle posting for the time being. I’ll see you at the shows.”

The former couple’s split comes as Pardi is in the midst of his Honkytonk Hollywood tour, which is scheduled to conclude Dec. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The trek is in support of his most recent album of the same title.

Jon and Summer met in May 2017 after being set up on a blind date by one of Summer’s clients and a friend of Jon’s mother.

“Within the first five minutes of meeting Jon, it was game over for me,” the hairstylist previously told People. “I texted my mom, ‘Sell my house, sell my car, send my dog.’”

The former couple got engaged during Pardi’s concert at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in October 2019.

Summertime is officially here, which means the sweet riddims of dancehall are at the peak of their powers.

On Friday (July 3), Billboard can exclusively reveal that Nigerian banku pioneer Mr Eazi tapped dancehall superproducer Dre Skull to harness that energy for a new dancehall-inspired mixtape titled Yard & Yanga. Oh, and they’re bringing King of Dancehall Vybz Kartel along for the ride. The King of Dancehall appears on “Lambo,” the project’s lead single — also out today — which finds the pair reuniting after 2021’s “Sekkle and Bop” and 2025’s “Dance Pon Me.”

“Eazi and I have been working on music together for years and, along the way, we became good friends,” Dre Skull tells Billboard. “When we go to the studio, we inevitably end up making music that weaves together elements of Dancehall and Afrobeats, and those sessions became the starting point for this project. At a certain point, we just realized we were building a larger project, and we leaned into shaping it.”

Eazi credits Nigeria’s dancehall-inspired konto artists like Baba Fryo, Kimi Ranky and Marvellous Benji as his gateway into the Jamaican-born genre, and his appreciation for the style has grown into his own “Zaggadat” catchphrase, an homage to Beenie Man. “I love the raw energy that comes with the sound. It’s one of the most genuine expressions of music,” he says. “I think it captures my other side.”

Vybz Kartel, who’s coming off last month’s God & Time album (June 5), made for a natural collaborator on “Lambo.” The summer-ready bashment banger finds Eazi using his signature, slick wordplay to deliver an earworm hook that calls on both Jamaican patois colloquialisms and Nigerian pidgin. “Dre Skull: “‘Lambo’ has a hypnotic quality built on a heavy low end that taps into the raw energy of street dances,” says Dre Skull. “I knew Kartel would know exactly what to do, and he is the perfect counterbalance to Eazi here.”

Yard & Yanga marks the natural evolution of his years-long friendship with Skull, who helped define the sound of 2010s dancehall with his work on Kartel’s Kingston Story (2011), Popcaan’s Where We Come From (2014) and Forever (2018). Notably, U.K.-based illustrator Kione Grandison hand-drew the single’s cover art, taking inspiration from West African and Caribbean folk and street art.

The mixtape, which has been years in the making, is also the latest addition to Eazi’s mixtape catalog, joining About to Blow (2013), Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 — Accra to Lagos (2017) and Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 — Lagos to London (2018). “With this project, I had a very clear concept of what I wanted to explore, and we intentionally kept it creatively fun during the process,” notes Eazi. “It felt naturally related to the other mixtapes I’ve done.” Yard & Yang arrives later this year via Dre Skull’s Mixpak Records and Eazi’s emPawa Africa.

Listen to “Lambo” below.

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

Last week, we featured sombr, Phoebe Bridgers, Steve Lacy with SZA and more.

This week: Madonna drops her anticipated Confessions II; rising star Sienna Spiro releases her anticipated debut album, Visitor; and Riley Green shares his latest collaboration… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Madonna, Confessions II

After months of hype and world building, Madonna’s Confessions II finally pulls up to the club this Friday. The icon’s 15th studio album since 1983 and her first since 2019’s Madame X, Confessions II returns her to the throbbing beats and writhing rooms of 2005’s Confessions on a Dancefloor. While that album leaned hard into disco via classics like “Hung Up” and “Sorry,” Confessions II is more upscale dance-pop and lush electronica, with songs like “Good for the Soul” and “One Step Away” pairing layered, cerebral productions by Stuart Price (who also produced the original album) with Madonna’s philosophical musings about how “the dancefloor is not just a place, it’s a threshold, a ritualistic space where movement replaces language.” 

But despite its heady tendencies, the album certainly possesses the dance world’s spirit of playfulness and fun, with “School” functioning as a slinky little ass-shaker and “Danceteria” running down a typical night at the song’s namesake club in New York City, where Madonna did her first performance in 1982. And as the original Confessions contained as much emotional nuance as it did kickdrum, so too does this new one live up to its title, via deeply personal songs about motherhood (via a collaboration with Lola Leon, Madonna’s daughter), the sting of betrayal and all flavors of romance. We’ll confess, we love it. — KATIE BAIN 

Sienna Spiro, Visitor

After breaking big on and off the charts with the emotive “Die on This Hill,” fast-rising soulful pop artist Sienna Spiro releases her debut album this Friday (July 3). Titled Visitor, the project includes that smash hit as well as previously-released singles “You Stole the Show” and the quasi-title track “The Visitor.” Spiro co-wrote the album alongside collaborators including Omer Fedi and Michael Pollack (both of whom also co-produced several tracks) among others. — LYNDSEY HAVENS

GAYLE, “junebug!”

Three years ago now, in 2023, pop singer GAYLE scored a Grammy nomination for song of the year with breakout single “abcdefu.” She went on to release two EPs and contribute a track to the Barbie soundtrack, in addition to opening on tours for Taylor Swift and Tate McRae. Now, after some time away, the rising artist is back with new music — and a big announcement. Her debut album Observing Choas, will arrive later this year; until then, lead single “junebug!” hints at the direction she’s heading in, complete with an uptempo rock-pop riff that perfectly captures the carefree chaos that kicks off summer. — L.H.

Billy Strings, “Burn the Other End”

While he’s earned a reputation for his lengthy, improv-heavy concerts, the Michigan bluegrass artist has also quietly become one of today’s sharpest recording artists, racking up three Grammy wins for best bluegrass album since 2021. Like Strings’ best studio work, “Burn the Other End” manages to condense the spooky, psychedelic bluegrass of his sprawling live sets into a more traditional song structure. But the single is also darker in spirit and style than much of Strings’ work; in announcing the forthcoming T-Bone Burnett-album it appears on, So Much For Goodbyes, Strings said he made the record to honor his mother, who died of a drug overdose last year. (Eagle-eyed observers will see another legendary Wolverine State guitar virtuoso in the credits: Jack White, who along with Burnett provides “gang vocals.”) — ERIC RENNER-BROWN

Riley Green feat. Hannah McFarland, “Go Again” 

Is there any male country artist who has cornered the co-ed duet market in recent years like Green between the two collabs with Ella Langley and his current tune with Carly Pearce?  Here, he and tourmate/fellow Alabama native McFarland attempt to keep the streak going with “Go Again” from his forthcoming album That’s Just Me. (They also duetted on the deluxe version of “Don’t Mind If I Do”). In the low-key, genial acoustic track solely written by Green, after a one-night stand the two lovers contemplate parting ways as planned or wonder if they should “go again,” both in and out of bed. More sweetly sexy than the full-on blow torch of Green’s “Worst Way,” but still steamy. — MELINDA NEWMAN

Stella Lefty, “Good at Leaving”

Lefty continues leaning into country music with this chugging track about her ability to “get gone without a warning,” because she’s far better at goodbyes than hellos. The “Boston” singer surrounds her lilting vocals with subtle pedal steel, mandolin and mainly acoustic guitar in the infectious tune that is going to stay in your brain much longer than she’s going to stick around. The official release comes after Lefty has been performing the song in concert and it has become a fan favorite. — M.N.

Rubén Blades, SUPERMAMBO

For his new album, Rubén Blades — Billboard’s 2026 Indie Icon — blends the magical worlds of music and comics. Across a mix of 17 tracks and interludes, SUPERMAMBO narrates the story of an afrolatino superhero from The Bronx, who’s elegant and knowledgeable, and whose superpower is to make people dance. Narrated by the Panamanian star, the set perfectly weaves storytelling and tropical rhythms with the intention of demonstrating the super powers of Latin culture. SUPERMAMBO — produced by Felipe Fournier and Jeremy Bosch — includes collabs with Oscar Hernández, Shae Fiol and Mariachi Flor de Toloache. — JESSICA ROIZ

Judeline, “Besito”

Judeline’s “Besito” — produced by Lil Chick, Sacha Rudy, Phil, Tuiste, and Gede da O — starts off with crashing ocean waves before transitioning into a futuristic pop song powered by experimental synths and ethereal vocal harmonies. Dubbing it as her official summer tune, the Spanish artist seductively sings about lust and desire: “I’m still thinking about yesterday’s kiss […] I want to kiss you again,” she chants. In the lyrics, she also encourages her crush to enjoy her while she’s in her 20s and living life intensely. A conceptual music video filmed by Lilian Hardouineau in France, demonstrates Judeline doing a dreamy-yet-sultry performance on the beach at night. — J.R.

Zeds Dead, “Return to the Return (of the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness)”

Zeds Dead’s Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness was one of our favorite albums of 2025, and now the pair go back indeed via their new Return to the Return (of the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness). Chopping up the original into bits and pieces and transforming it into a journey of ambient, breakbeats, UKG, drum & bass, turntablism, and more, the new version is both a sequel and full reimagination of the original that captures the heady, experimental tendencies that have long been the duo’s signature. Zeds Dead headlined Red Rocks last night, and will do so again this evening. — K.B.

Ken Carson, xperience 

Just over a year after earning his first Billboard 200 No. 1 album with 2025’s More Chaos, Ken Carson has returned with xperience. The Atlanta rap star teased the album’s dizzying, and at times slightly industrial, rage-rap and trap soundscape at his 2026 Rolling Loud headlining set (May 10) — and later on his @xperimenting0_0 Instagram page — and the 22-track set delivers. Featuring appearances by Playboi Carti, Destroy Lonely, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug and 2hollis, xperiment solidifies the 26-year-old as a true niche superstar, particularly one who can converse with his fanbase in the creation of the music while still packing surprises at nearly every turn. — KYLE DENIS 

Destin Conrad, “Nervous“

Last year, Destin Conrad followed up his Love on Digital debut album, which Billboard named the No. 1 R&B Album of 2025, with an impressive alternative jazz EP called Whimsy. Ever the shapeshifter, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter has delved into dancehall for “Nervous,” the first taste of his upcoming reggae album. His catalog has always had a subtle thread of Caribbean music, thanks to his Jamaican-born mother, and “Nervous” turns up the heat with a sizzling, Louie Lastic-produced riddim. The syncopated dancehall production pairs nicely with Destin’s seductive, layered background vocals, making for one heater of a summer anthem. — K.D. 

There is a longstanding question in K-pop about what actually holds a girl group together: a single breakout star, a concept strong enough to carry eight people, or something harder to manufacture. Hearts2Hearts, the SM Entertainment octet now 16 months into its career, is proof of the third option.

The group’s structure is built around what it refuses to do. Instead of one designated center, Hearts2Hearts spreads the weight, arranging vocal lines, choreography and camera time so that individual moments serve the whole. It’s a familiar pitch in K-pop marketing and a rare thing to actually pull off. What sets this group apart is that the balance holds up under scrutiny, onstage, in live vocal takes, in the self-produced content where group dynamics usually crack first.

Even the group’s most viral moment worked this way. Stella’s spoken English narration in “RUDE!” became the song’s signature and fueled a fan challenge, yet it never read as one member breaking away from the pack. It read as Hearts2Hearts. That house-leaning single, released this past February, climbed to a No. 57 peak on the Billboard Global 200, while rising to No. 5 on the Billboard Korea Hot 100. The demand followed offstage: in March, the group sold out showcases in both New York and Los Angeles. For an act barely a year past its debut, which reached No. 102 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with “The Chase,” that is a group finding its ceiling and pushing past it.

“Lemon Tang,” the title track of the second mini album released June 22, carries that momentum into a bright, summer-coded dance-pop turn. Where “RUDE!” came from a team of Western topliners, the follow-up is a KENZIE record, penned by the SM in-house veteran whose credits run from Girls’ Generation’s “Into the New World” through two decades of the label’s girl-group canon. The chorus leans into a breezy, bossa-inflected sway, and the vocal arrangement follows the group’s usual logic: lines sung in pairs that build into all eight voices in unison. The lyric’s central image, a lemon that is sour alone and turns sweet in combination, is also a fair summary of how this group operates, name included.

That’s the thing about Hearts2Hearts. The appeal is cumulative rather than explosive: friendly without being lightweight, bright without being simple, and consistent in a genre that usually chases spectacle. In this interview with Billboard Korea, the eight members talk through the moment they first saw their name on the Billboard charts, the energy of their first sold-out U.S. stages, the roots each member brings to the team, and what they hope people understand about Hearts2Hearts by the end of this summer, in their own words.

From “The Chase” to “RUDE!,” sixteen months have already passed. How do you feel about where Hearts2Hearts stands now?

JIWOO: I think we’re still in the middle of growing and learning, but when I look at where we are now, I’m most proud that Hearts2Hearts is starting to have a distinctive color of its own. We’ve gained a lot of experience since debut, and I think we’re becoming more confident both as individuals and as a team. It makes me excited for how much more we can grow from here.

YE-ON: Like JIWOO unni said, I think we’re still growing as artists. But if I had to pick the biggest change, it would be how much more comfortable I’ve become on stage. At debut, I was focused on finding the cameras, but now I feel more confident connecting with our fans and enjoying the moment!

Hearts2Hearts arrived as SM’s first new girl group since aespa. Did that description ever feel heavy to you, or did it become a quiet source of strength?

YE-ON: Rather than feeling pressured, I think it motivated us to work even harder together so we could live up to people’s expectations. It felt more like positive encouragement that pushed us to keep practicing and improving!

When you first heard “Lemon Tang,” what made it feel like the right next chapter after “RUDE!”?

YUHA: The track carries the same confident energy as “RUDE!” while bringing a brighter and more refreshing feeling that fits the summer season. While “RUDE!” was about breaking away from expectations and doing things our own way, “Lemon Tang” shows a brighter side of us and celebrates how beautiful it feels when we’re together. That’s why it felt like the perfect next chapter.

“Baby Steps” carries the excitement of a new beginning, while “Secret Recipe” tells a story of building something together. Which track feels closest to the team’s heart right now?

JUUN: I think “Baby Steps” feels closest to where we are right now. As we begin this new chapter with “Lemon Tang,” I think the excitement and nervousness of trying something new really reflect how we feel as a team. That’s why I find myself relating to “Baby Steps” the most.

“RUDE!” reached No. 10 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart and entered the Billboard Global 200 as well. When you first saw Hearts2Hearts on an overseas chart, what went through your mind?

CARMEN: I’m so, so thankful to S2U and to everyone who has been listening to “RUDE!” I’m incredibly happy, and honestly, it still feels a little like a dream. Seeing our song on the Billboard chart was… just wow. It was such a huge moment for us! I’m truly grateful for all the love and support. Thank you so much!

STELLA: When I first saw “RUDE!” on the Billboard charts, I was really shocked and so grateful for all the fans who supported us. It really made me realize that there are so many global fans who love our music, and it inspired me to work harder for our next comeback.

Stella, your English narration became one of the signatures of “RUDE!” and even carried into the challenge. Did you expect that part to resonate with listeners in that way?

STELLA: When I first recorded the narration part in our song, I had hoped that our listeners would resonate with it. However, I didn’t expect the amount of love and attention that it would get at all. Watching our fans and listeners do the narration challenge was so much fun, and I feel incredibly grateful for all the support.

In March, you sold out showcases in both New York and Los Angeles. What felt different about the energy of the U.S. fans compared to the audiences you had met in Korea?

A-NA: All of our fans are incredibly passionate, but what stood out to me in the U.S. was how loudly everyone sang along and even danced with us. Seeing the crowd enjoy the music so freely and express themselves in that way was really new and memorable for me.

IAN: The showcase was a moment where I really got to feel the incredible energy of our fans in the U.S. Even the smallest things we did got such a big reaction. Hearing everyone sing along and seeing them jump and have fun with us really made me feel their passion.

Jiwoo, as the leader, what did the “RUDE!” season teach you about the members that you may not have fully realized before?

JIWOO: During our “RUDE!” promotions, I realized once again how strong and dependable our members are. I was really impressed by how everyone took responsibility for their own role and always gave their best. Even during difficult moments, the members were always looking out for each other first, and I was so grateful for that. It made me trust the team even more, and I felt just how reliable everyone is.

Carmen, as SM’s first Indonesian member, what kind of color do you feel your roots bring to Hearts2Hearts when the group connects with fans around the world?

CARMEN: As SM’s first Indonesian member, I’m really grateful to be able to share a part of my culture and experiences with Hearts2Hearts. Growing up with a different background has given me a broader perspective, and I think that helps our group connect naturally with fans from all around the world. I also feel happy that I can introduce Indonesia and represent many fans who dream of standing on a global stage. More than anything, I hope the warmth, sincerity, and positive energy I’ve grown up with can become one of the unique colors that make Hearts2Hearts even more special.

The name Hearts2Hearts carries the idea of connecting one heart to another. Since your debut, what has been the clearest moment when you truly felt that connection with your fans?

A-NA: One of the moments when I feel most connected to our fans is when I see them smiling and enjoying themselves while watching us perform on stage. Seeing that happiness on their faces makes me feel like our hearts are really connected.

The rookie season often passes faster than people expect. Is there something you feel Hearts2Hearts can only do now, precisely because you are still at the beginning?

IAN: I think it’s continuing to show how we’re growing. All of the members constantly give each other feedback and always want to improve, so I think people can really see that growth through our performances and activities.

By the end of the “Lemon Tang” promotions, what do you hope people will understand a little more clearly about Hearts2Hearts?

YUHA: Just like the feeling you get when you think of “Lemon Tang,” I hope thinking about Hearts2Hearts can make people smile and feel a little happier.

JUUN: Just like the lyrics of “Lemon Tang,” I hope people can feel that fresh, uplifting energy with us. I also hope our song becomes the soundtrack to everyone’s summer and helps make this season feel a little brighter and more fun.

Madonna has always been a master of reinvention, but this time around, she’s working in extension via the release of her new album Confessions II. Out Friday (July 3), the project is a follow-up to her 2005 masterpiece Confessions on a Dance Floor, which found the Queen of Pop — in partnership with the album’s producer Stuart Price — focused on disco, electronica, synth and dance pop.

Also produced by Price, the 16 tracks on Confessions II focus on much of the same, presenting lush, cerebral productions focused on the club as church and dancing as spiritual work. The project, Madonna’s 15th studio album since 1983, features the previously released singles “I Feel So Free,” “Love Sensation” and “Bring Your Love,” with the latter track being a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter, who Madonna appeared with on stage during Carpenter’s headlining set at Coachella in April.

Beyond Carpenter, Confessions II includes collabs with Belgian star Stromae (“My Sins Are My Savior”), Dutch dance titan Martin Garrix (“Bizarre”), Colombian reggaeton star Feid (who sings on “Read My Lips” and who, with other collaborations on 2026 albums by Skrillex and John Summit, is having a big year in the dance world) and Madonna’s own daughter Lola Leon. The song featuring Madonna and Leon, “The Test,” explores their mother-daughter relationship via lyrics such as “Sometimes I think you’d wish I’d go away/but my shadow stays/and it’s OK to be yourself,” with the vulnerability of the subject matter matching the confessional nature of the 2005 original, which was released when Leon was nine years old.

Altogether, Confessions II is a stunner, playing as a modern take on club music that simultaneously evokes the genre’s previous eras without ever falling into pastiche. Stream it below.