From Judy Garland in the ’30s to the newly 18-year-old Billie Eilish, this week’s Pop Shop Podcast explores the power of child stars who grow up alongside their fans.
Justin Bieber released his debut album, My World 2.0, almost exactly a decade ago, and even before that March 2010 release — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart — Bieber had already amassed a sizeable fanbase, covering his favorite songs on YouTube and getting discovered by his still-manager Scooter Braun when he was just 13.
Last week, the pop star put out his fifth studio album, Changes, which is on track for yet another No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. Bieber has, of course, had his ups and downs, but one thing has stayed consistent over these 10 years: his Beliebers. The die-hard fans have literally grown up with their idol, and it's hard to manufacture that kind of early investment as far as how dedicated these fans are to Bieber's every move.
And he's hardly the only child musician-turned-adult pop star to capture fans' hearts early and never let go. On this week's Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below), Keith & Katie talk all about the power of that connection between young stars and their earliest fans and how it's been a cornerstone of the music industry for nearly a century, starting with Judy Garland in the '30s all the way to the newly 18-year-old Billie Eilish, and all the Stevies, Michaels, Britneys, Mileys, Selenas and Arianas in between.
Also on the podcast, we've got chart news about how Dua Lipa's "Don't Start Now" continues to climb up the Billboard Hot 100, Post Malone's incredible success with "Circles" on the Pop Songs airplay chart, and how another Justin (and fellow child-turned-adult pop star), Justin Timberlake, is back on the Hot 100 for the first time in nearly two years.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard's weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard's senior director of charts Keith Caulfield and deputy editor, digital Katie Atkinson every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
