In our new regular feature “The Weekly,” music critic Seo Seongdeok takes stock of the major currents shaping the music industry each week. Catch up on all the news driving the industry right now, from the biggest moves artists are making to notable new releases, “Billboard” chart highlights, and more.
BTS performs at the World Cup final halftime show
The 2026 World Cup, held in North America, featured a halftime show during the final for the first time in the event’s history. Staged in the US, the show inevitably brought the Super Bowl halftime show to mind. Where the Super Bowl places all its focus around a single headliner, though, the World Cup halftime show packed six acts into 12 minutes—Madonna, an orchestra, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Burna Boy, followed by a group performance with Chris Martin. Given the international nature of the World Cup, it differentiated itself with a lineup of artists from Latin America, Korea, Nigeria, and beyond.
Naturally, that meant every artist had to accept some real constraints, each being allotted less than two minutes—barely enough time to get through a single song. Since the show had to stick as close as possible to the length of a normal soccer halftime, there was likely little room for elaborate staging or technical touches, either. Even so, BTS delivered the most tightly orchestrated spectacle of the entire show—not because of the set design or special effects, but thanks to the thrilling way the group and the cameras wove through intricate, interlocking paths.
Despite having just released a new album, Madonna sang her 2000 hit “Music” with the line “music makes the people come together.” Similarly, BTS chose to perform “Dynamite,” a massive hit with a message of hope and the preciousness of everyday life. With a globally familiar hook coupled with fluid dance moves, the group put on an unforgettable show even within a condensed performance format. Following “Dreamers” at the last World Cup, it’s fair to say BTS has proven themselves a choice that transcends geography and generations for international events like the World Cup. Now you can’t help but wonder what kind of show the boys would put on if given the chance to headline a tight 15-minute event on the same scale as their two-hour-plus concerts.
Madonna’s latest album “CONFESSIONS II” debuts at No. 1 on the “Billboard” 200
It’s been 43 years since Madonna put out her self-titled debut album in 1983. The singer’s 15th album, “CONFESSIONS II,” debuted at No. 1 on the “Billboard” 200 chart dated July 18—her 10th No. 1 album, tying her with Elvis Presley for 10th-most all time. She’s also third among women, just behind Taylor Swift (15) and Barbra Streisand (11). Counting remix albums, compilations, and soundtracks alongside her studio records, Madonna now has 24 Top 10 albums in all, placing her sixth behind the Rolling Stones (38), Streisand (34), Frank Sinatra (33), the Beatles (32) and Elvis (27).
Madonna has also had 12 No. 1 songs on the “Billboard” Hot 100, making her the fourth artist in history to achieve 10 or more No. 1s on both major charts. She follows the Beatles (19 albums/20 singles), Swift (15/15), and Drake (15/14). Plenty of major artists have fallen short of the feat simply for a lack of No. 1 albums. Mariah Carey, for instance, has six No. 1 albums and 19 No. 1 singles. Michael Jackson has six and 13, respectively. Others come up short on singles instead, like Jay-Z, who has 14 No. 1 albums to his name compared to just four chart-topping singles.
Not many people expected a comeback this successful, even when Madonna made her surprise appearance at Sabrina Carpenter’s Coachella set last spring for “Bring Your Love,” but “CONFESSIONS II” has been hailed as her strongest album in 20 years, and it’s already being talked about as a contender for the next Grammys. What’s more, her celebratory show in New York on July 11—alongside Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium concert that same weekend—was seen as an opportunity to reflect on the history and impact of dance and hip-hop, two massive cultural movements rooted in that storied city Madonna doesn’t need more hits to prove herself, and yet she continues to prove that she can still reinvent herself.
Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley dominated the first half of 2026
Luminate is the company behind the data on listening habits and sales that powers the “Billboard” charts, and according to their report on the first half of 2026, the most popular album in the US was “I’m The Problem” by Morgan Wallen, while the most-streamed song was Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.”
“I’m The Problem,” released in May 2025, spent a total of 13 weeks at No. 1 on the “Billboard” 200 and has stayed in the Top 10 ever since. Despite having come out more than a year ago, Wallen’s release led the first half of 2026 with just over two million album-equivalent units, the only album to break the double-platinum barrier during those months. The rest of the Top 5 went to Ella Langley’s “Dandelion” (1.638 million), Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (1.543 million), BTS’s “ARIRANG” (1.492 million), and Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide” (1.349 million).
“ARIRANG” led pure sales with 920,000 copies. Four of the Top 10 albums in the first half were K-pop titles, the others being ENHYPEN’s “THE SIN: VANISH” (No. 5, 287,000) and parts four and five of ATEEZ’s “GOLDEN HOUR” series (No. 7, 283,000; No. 8, 223,000). BTS’s album “ARIRANG” also topped vinyl sales for the first half, with 331,000 copies.
Ella Langley’s song “Choosin’ Texas” enjoyed a staggering 570.9 million on-demand streams (those a listener actively selects) in the first half of 2026, a full 1.7 times the 340.2 million streams racked up by the No. 2 song, Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need.” Langley flexed her streaming demand throughout the first six months, claiming two spots in the Top 5, with “Be Her” at No. 4 as well. Dean put her numbers where her buzz is, too, landing “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” at No. 10. The HUNTR/X song “Golden” rounded out the Top 6 with 282.8 million streams.