For this yr’s replace of our ongoing Biggest Pop Star by Yr challenge, Billboard is counting down our employees picks for the highest 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 2, we keep in mind the yr in SZA — who had one of the best 12 months of her profession and confirmed herself as one of many inner-circle stars of 2020s pop music.
When SZA’s SOS closed out 2022 with record-breaking stats — 318,000 items earned first week, the most important streaming week ever for an R&B album, and (ultimately) ten non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart — that second appeared just like the climax of a years-long marketing campaign for the Grammy winner’s sophomore studio album. If something, it turned out to really simply be the warning shot for an much more dominant 2023.
Billboard’s Biggest Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Yr: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Yr: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Unhealthy Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo | No. 6: Karol G | No. 5: Morgan Wallen | No. 4: Ice Spice | No. 3: Beyoncé
The Grammy winner entered this yr nonetheless basking within the glow of SOS’ chart takeover. “Kill Invoice” was basically glued to the highest 10 of the Billboard Scorching 100, whereas a number of album tracks – together with “Blind,” “Love Language” and “Low” — have been gaining traction on TikTok, and “Shirt” was nonetheless blowing by way of the competitors at R&B/hip-hop radio, the place it will definitely peaked at No. 1. The early love for myriad alternatives from the 23-song set would quickly give solution to one other year-defining hit single by the point the summer time drew to an in depth.
Courtesy of RCA Information
Courtesy of RCA Information
However earlier than that, by February, SZA had already gone again to dropping new music — this time aiding Lizzo together with her “Particular” remix. Whereas the observe was removed from a serious hit, it did attain No. 1 on Grownup R&B Airplay late within the yr, making for a pleasing full circle second, contemplating Lizzo helped honor SZA together with her Billboard lady of the yr award in March. The duo’s private friendship {and professional} partnership was set to proceed with co-headlining slots at Made In America, however the present – like various hip-hop festivals this yr – was in the end referred to as off.
Nonetheless, SZA nonetheless dazzled on the street in 2023, visiting the U.S. and Europe on her 54-date headlining enviornment tour. Full with cinematic interludes, explosive choreography and modern props, the SOS Tour discovered SZA blooming right into a top-shelf pop star with every new date. From February to October, she trekked throughout the globe, bringing out shock visitors similar to Cardi B, Phoebe Bridgers, Sexyy Crimson, Travis Scott, Lizzo, Lil Child and Summer season Walker alongside the best way.
By April, a Doja Cat-blessed remix of “Kill Invoice” helped vault the music to No. 1, turning into SZA’s first Scorching 100 chart-topper and cementing its standing as one of many yr’s defining pop songs. Round that point, “Snooze” was preparing for its second within the solar. The music had been swirling round on TikTok for months, and its constant streaming presence would in the end maintain it on the Scorching 100 for a whole yr, however the mixed efforts of radio’s full embrace and a star-studded music video (that includes the likes of Younger Mazino and Benny Blanco) lifted the music to new heights. Justin Bieber – who additionally appeared within the music video – later guested on the acoustic “Snooze” remix, serving to the observe attain its final Scorching 100 peak of No. 2.
The summer time months discovered SZA blessing a few of her friends with hits, and, in doing so, she solidified her spot because the yr’s resident hitmaker. In July, she gifted Travis Scott a standout verse on “Telekinesis,” which helped the music turn into an prompt fan-favorite from Utopia, spending 11 weeks on the Scorching 100 with out an official single launch. September introduced on “Slime You Out,” a much-derided duet with Drake that also debuted atop the Scorching 100 — thanks, largely, to SZA’s business dominance. That a lot was confirmed the next month, when “Wealthy Child Daddy,” a collaboration with Drizzy and Sexyy Crimson, emerged because the breakout hit and standout observe on his For All of the Canines album. How may it not be SZA’s yr when a few of the largest stars in up to date pop music are working to her to ensure a success?
To shut out the yr, SZA emerged from Grammy nominations morning with a whopping 9 nods – probably the most of any artist this yr, and a cool bookend to her artist of the yr snub on the VMAs again in September. With nods throughout three completely different genres and recognition in album, report and music of the yr, SZA’s Grammy nominations haul served as the proper encapsulation of simply how towering and ubiquitous she was a cultural determine and hitmaker this yr. On Billboard’s Yr-Finish charts, she boasts the No. 3 album of the yr and the No. 3 (“Kill Invoice”) and No. 9 (“Snooze”) songs of the yr – the one artist with two unaccompanied solo entries within the Yr-Finish Scorching 100 high 10.
Honestly, there’s just one pop star who can maintain a candle to SZA’s dominance this yr – and also you in all probability already know precisely what their identify is. The distinction with SZA, nonetheless, is that she did all of it with out ever giving off the largely calculated, pre-scripted feeling that so usually characterizes a run like that one she’s on with SOS. She moved at her personal tempo and reaped unbeatable dividends.