With Sophia Stepping Back From KATSEYE, Will the Global Girl Group Remain a Quartet?

Over the weekend, Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny both picked up their first Emmy Awards — Carpenter as a producer and performer on Disney+’s The Muppet Show special and Benito as a producer and performer at his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. And these multi-talented pop stars are just getting started. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about whether the Emmy and Grammy winners could add an Oscar or Tony next for the coveted EGOT honor. Listen below for our full conversation about the most likely paths they could take to get there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While there’s no question Dolly Parton was popular, she had no intention of “going pop” throughout her 60-plus-year career. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are chatting about the relationship Parton — who died on Aug. 25 at age 80 — had with pop music, from her crossover hits to collaborating with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. In a 1977 interview with Country Music magazine — the same year she released one of her poppiest hits, “Here You Come Again” — Parton addressed the genre question head-on. “I never considered the fact that I was going pop,” she said at the time. “I will go pop, as far as crossing over, sooner or later. But I will go there as me. I will go there with my own music, not by trying to be something different than I am. “If my music has to have a label, I will call it country, mainly because I am country,” she added. “You cannot leave what you are. But I really prefer to call it Dolly Parton music.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From performing onstage at the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 to being the leading nominee at the 2026 show, Madonna's history with the VMAs runs deep. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about how the M in MTV should probably stand for Madonna at this point -- including Keith's one-and-only time inside the Video Music Awards. The year was 1998, and it was the last time Madonna was the show's leading nominee, and she took home the video of the year trophy for "Ray of Light." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, tens of thousands of fans got this experience at events across the globe, with Chappell Roan popping out with Noah Kahan at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for her song "California"; Cynthia Erivo reuniting with her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande at the O2 Arena in London; and Kristen Bell regaling the Savannah Bananas crowd with a Disney-powered medley at Denver's Coors Field. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, we're talking about the trio of delightful surprise guests crossing genres and continents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, it was announced that Sophia would be taking a step back from KATSEYE to prioritize her “mental health and wellness,” following a similar announcement from her groupmate Manon back in February. Now the six-person global girl group is down to a quartet — and it’s unclear when either member might return to the fold, especially after a six-month absence for Manon. The news comes at a particularly busy time for KATSEYE, with their Wild album arriving on Friday and their Wildworld Tour — the group’s first global trek — kicking off in October. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are discussing the announcement and what it means for the group’s future. Will both women return, or might they remain a quartet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, at 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Lollapalooza, Daisy Chain Fields and the new Ocean Way Festival in Santa Monica, Calif. all on the horizon, Pop Shop hosts Katie and Keith are talking about each of the fests, breaking down the performers (including Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Dean and so many more) and deciding that they'll probably need to take a Pop Shop field trip for the latter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How could four superstar music headliners -- Shakira, BTS, Madonna and Justin Bieber -- possibly all fit into an 11-minute performance? We found out Sunday during the first-ever World Cup Final halftime show, and on the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast we're talking all about what worked, and what got weird. The craziest part of the jam-packed spectacle was that the quartet of headliners weren't alone: They were joined by a robust cast of side characters, including Gustavo Dudamel directing the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra; Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt in character as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard; Staten Island's PS22 Chorus and Coldplay performing the original song "We Dance"; and yes, even The Muppets. Listen to Katie & Keith's full conversation now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suki Waterhouse joins the Pop Shop to chat about her first album in nearly two years, “Loveland,” and how the record was inspired by the “huge shift” of motherhood (she’s a new mom!) and how she finds her self in a “very joyful, delicate, interesting time" in her life. Plus, hosts Keith and Katie review chart news about Madonna’s big debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her 10th leader, “Confessions II.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Taylor Swift curates a concert, it's legends only. While Swift's July 3 nuptials to Travis Kelce have been pretty successfully kept under wraps -- including any photos of the bride and groom on their wedding day -- a couple of musical details have crept out, including that Stevie Nicks performed at the ceremony and that Paul McCartney played a Beatles song he hasn't done since 1964: “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about the details we've learned from the big day and what (if anything) we might see of photos or videos from inside New York's Madison Square Garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices