Popcast

In a moment of success for newcomers like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, is there still a path to becoming a true cross-platform pop superstar?

The pop songwriter’s sixth album is in some ways her most daring release yet. Improbably, it also yielded her best opening week.

New songs from Eminem, Drake and J. Cole — plus Will Smith’s post-Slap “Bad Boys” comeback — demonstrate different paths for maturing (or not).

The actress, writer and New York icon discusses her post-Kanye career, what it’s like to see her past go viral and the history of “It Girl” pop songs.

Artificial intelligence has become the dominant disrupter to music creation and distribution. And it’s only getting started.

Discussing the imperfect rollout of Dua Lipa’s latest album, “Radical Optimism,” and the recent music movies “Back to Black” and “The Idea of You.”

A conversation about the pop singer’s new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.”

Catching up on the conclusion of rap’s heavyweight fight, Zendaya in “Challengers,” a Central Cee freestyle and Post Malone’s single with Morgan Wallen.

Breaking down the heavyweight rap battle between the two rappers after a weekend of dramatic diss tracks.

Picking the best songs from “The Tortured Poets Department” one week later. Plus: the rise of a pair of pop’s middle-class stars.