Fridays can be overwhelming for pop fans. Every week you're bombarded with a glut of new music, which can lead to ear candy falling through the cracks. I’m hoping to circumvent that tragic scenario with The Drop — a cheat sheet (of sorts) to get you through New Music Friday. By now, you’ve probably heard Louis Tomlinson and Bebe Rexha's "Back To You" and possibly bopped along to PRETTYMUCH's...

The world of pop music moves fast, especially for those who enjoy the sounds of the East and the West. Keeping up with the Hot 100 is hard enough, let alone knowing what’s going on in Japan and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it K-Pop scene. To help you stay on top of Asia’s hottest pop music, I’ve put together East Beat — a handy guide of the best K-Pop and J-Pop (and beyond!) songs of the week.It...

After an extended rollout, Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life album is finally here. The sprawling 16-track album is the dream-pop goddess' most adventurous to date. She ventures out of her (occasionally tortured) mind to address broader issues like the state of the world. For example, the 32-year-old touches on political issues on "Coachella — Woodstock In My Mind," "Change" and "When The World Was At...

From Westlife to One Direction, Simon Cowell has an impeccable track record of launching boy bands. And the music mogul's winning streak should continue with PRETTYMUCH. Comprised of teenagers Brandon Arreaga, Nick Mara, Zion Kuwonu, Austin Porter and Edwin Honoret, the quintet is brimming with potential. For starters, there is no weak link. They can all sing (really well) and deliver dance moves not...

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington died of an apparent suicide this morning (July 20). He was 41 years old and leaves behind wife, Talinda Bentley, and six children. According to the police report, the two-time Grammy winner hung himself and could not be revived when Firefighters arrived at his Los Angeles home at approximately 9 a.m.. His bandmate, Mike Shinoda, confirmed the tragic news on Twitter....

News that Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was found dead in his Los Angeles home this morning (July 20) from an apparent suicide has rocked the music world. Celebrity fans, collaborators and close friends have jumped on social media to express their grief. "No words. so heartbroken. RIP Chester Bennington," Imagine Dragons tweeted. "Oh dear God. Massive R.I.P to Chester Bennington of @linkinpark...

Kylie Minogue is hard at work on her comeback album... in Nashville. The hitmaker, who has dutifully kept fans up to date with her recording sessions, posted a series of pictures from the iconic Bluebird Cafe with Aussie country music songwriter/producers Phil Barton (Lee Bice's "A Woman Like You") and Lindsay Rimes (Locash's "I Know Somebody" and Thomas Rhett's "Background Music"). She even posted...

Few pop stars can command the stage like Britney Spears. In her nearly 20 years in the industry, she has delivered multiple noteworthy performances that will live on in infamy and have secured her title as the reigning princess of pop. Whether she's skipping across the stage, writhing with a snake, or simply delivering an impassioned vocal track, the "Slumber Party" siren knows how to keep all eyes...

CYN follows in the glorious footsteps of Pop God Ferras to become the second artist signed to Katy Perry's Unsub Records. The singer/songwriter recently dropped her debut single, "Together," and it's a delightfully delicate bop. "There's no way I could be without you, you got a heart that beats in time with mine," she sings over a fluttery bass-line. "Don't wanna fight with nobody else, don't come...

Years from now, pop historians will look back on Katy Perry's Witness era and wonder what the hell happened. It started uneventfully enough. The diva kicked things off with catchy, reggae-tinged bop "Chained To The Rhythm" and promised to usher in an age of woke-pop. That was met with a certain amount of eye-rolling, but the song was a hit and everything seemed to be going as planned. But then she...

Hey Violet made the leap from pop/punk to synth-driven alt-pop look easy with 2016 single, "Guys My Age." The fiery anthem is equal parts Joan Jett and Blondie with a splash of something defiantly original and modern. It was a blast of fresh air on pop radio and promptly became the band's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. They backed it up with the equally-heady "Break My Heart" and relatable ballad...

The pop landscape was thrown for a loop when Lorde rode in from New Zealand on a wave of frosty synths, armed with a chilling critique of the excesses of fame. At a time when her peers were soaring high on those very excesses, she exposed some of the darkness that remains when the lights come up in the club. The teen and her velvety voice served as the counterweight to the traditional pop star, and...