{"id":529668,"date":"2026-07-02T16:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T16:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/529668\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T16:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T16:31:10","slug":"greatest-pop-stars-of-june-2026-olivia-rodrigo-taylor-swift-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/529668\/","title":{"rendered":"Greatest Pop Stars of June 2026: Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift & More"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIt\u2019s a wrap on the first half of the 2026 calendar year in pop stardom \u2014 and while we haven\u2019t gotten a ton of totally new chart-topping artists <\/a>to this point in the year, we have heard all year from a whole lot of the ruling classic of the last decade (or two). This past June was no exception to that trend, as some of the biggest names of recent years returned with new albums, new singles, new tours and\/or big new moments, making sure that we enter the back half of the year still reeling from the star power on display.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tExplore\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n

\n\tThis week on the\u00a0Greatest Pop Stars\u00a0podcast<\/a>, we catch up with all the stars who defined June 2026 in pop stardom. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by\u00a0Billboard\u00a0staffers Xander Zellner and Emily Fuentes to share and debate our respective June top five lists, while also naming some honorable mentions, some disappointments, and some artists who we\u2019re looking forward to in the second half of the year. (If you want to listen back to our first four 2026 recaps, or any of our 2025 episodes, you can\u00a0check them all out here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd of course, we ask all the most pressing questions about the month in pop stardom:\u00a0Is Olivia Rodrigo already thinking about her long-term legacy at age 23? Is Taylor Swift still as dominant as ever in this in-between year for her \u2014\u00a0and will it actually end up being an in-between year at all? Have we come around to Ariana Grande\u2019s \u201cHate That I Made You Love Me?\u201d Has Malcolm Todd proven himself to be the real deal? How are we feeling about Phoebe Bridgers\u2019 return six years after her last solo album? What are our current reads on upcoming albums by Gracie Abrams, Charli xcx and Carly Rae Jepsen? And of course most importantly: Who has been the Greatest Pop Star of the first half of 2026?<\/p>\n

\n\tCheck it out above, and subscribe to the\u00a0Greatest Pop Stars podcast<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Apple Music<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0(or wherever you get your\u00a0podcasts<\/a>) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts \u2014 if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:<\/p>\n

\n\tTransgender Law Center<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tTrans Lifeline<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tDestination Tomorrow<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tGender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tHuman Rights Campaign \u2013 In Your Area<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tAlso, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on\u00a05Calls.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t


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