For this yr’s replace of our ongoing Best 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. 4, we bear in mind the yr in Ice Spice — who, whereas nonetheless within the earliest phases of her profession, grew to become an important and inescapable a part of 2023 popular culture.
From a younger age, Ice Spice had manifested turning into profitable, and her time within the highlight lastly got here towards the top of 2022. “Watch me get lit by the top of the summer time,” the then-22-year-old MC rapped on her single “Euphoric,” which she independently launched three months earlier than her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U).” The New York drill anthem flashed Ice’s brash and brisk supply and popularized her colloquialism that she defines as “a hater or any individual that’s actually obsessive about you that’s simply fiending to eat it.”
Billboard’s Best 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: Dangerous Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo | No. 6: Karol G | No. 5: Morgan Wallen
Although it by no means broke onto the Billboard Scorching 100, “Munch” earned her a label take care of 10K Tasks and Capitol Information one month after its launch, and launched Ice Spice as rap’s buzziest newcomer. Her cinnamon curly afro made her immediately recognizable, whereas her sharp-tongued bars uncovered listeners to her personal vernacular that shortly grew to become a part of the popular culture lexicon, like “baddie pal” from the cutesy-yet-cutthroat single “In Ha Temper,” the place she patted herself on the again for undertaking what she had initially got down to do earlier than the warm-weather months have been over.
Edwig Henson
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Going into 2023, Ice shut down any remaining one-hit surprise claims, and proved she might dominate the charts and rule as “the Folks’s Princess,” as dubbed by her followers (who collectively name themselves the Spice Cupboard, whereas they’re individually often known as Munchkins). She kicked off the brand new yr along with her debut EP Like..?, a six-song challenge named after her signature interjection that fused her pop sensibilities along with her right-hand producer RIOTUSA’s expansive drill sound. Like..? debuted within the prime 40 of the Billboard 200, whereas the Diddy-sampling, Lil Tjay-assisted “Gangsta Boo” debuted at No. 82 on the Scorching 100, marking Ice’s debut entry on the chart.
After receiving a DM from PinkPantheress to hop on the remix of her melancholy bubblegum pop single “Boy’s a Liar,” the 2 joined forces on “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” in February. One fan’s TikTok of the 2 artists filming the music video from an NYC hearth escape immediately fueled social media buzz for the music previous to its launch — and the music and video shortly justified the hype, their sounds and personalities completely complementing each other. The genius linkup between the “Gen Z ‘It’ women of the web period,” as PinkPantheress known as the duo when chatting with Billboard, wasn’t simply written within the stars, however solidified each artists’ statuses as such: “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” reached No. 3 on the Scorching 100, incomes Ice and Pink every their first prime 10 hits.
Ice continued increasing her attain outdoors of the rap world by rubbing elbows with the best folks. Zedd invited Ice to carry out “No Readability” – Ice’s 2021 single that includes an uncleared pattern of Zedd and Foxes’ 2012 dance smash “Readability” – throughout his set at Miami’s Extremely Music Pageant in March. However later that month, she related with one of many greatest pop stars on this planet. Ice and PinkPantheress offered Taylor Swift with the music of the yr award on the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, however extensively circulated images of Ice’s heartwarming embrace with the megastar recommended this wouldn’t be the final time we’d see these two collectively.
However earlier than she might collaborate with Swift, Ice checked off the No. 1 artist from her collab bucket listing when Nicki Minaj hopped on the “Princess Diana” remix in April. Very like her destined team-up with PinkPantheress, the simple energy between rap’s new princess and its long-reigning queen made the remix an immediate hit. “Princess Diana” debuted at No. 4 on the Scorching 100 – incomes Ice her second prime 10 hit – and took the throne on Scorching Rap Songs, making it the primary No. 1 by two co-billed girls within the chart’s 34-year historical past.
And since Ice is aware of no bounds, she wasn’t going to simply cease at music. Having already served because the face of two main celeb manufacturers – Beyoncé’s Ivy Park and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS – Ice made her correct foray into the style world when she attended her first-ever Met Gala on Could 1. And by the top of the month, she went from the Met to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the place she made a shock look throughout Swift’s Eras Tour cease to live-debut the “Karma” remix she was featured on. “I’m a large fan of this good artist and after attending to know her I can affirm: she is THE ONE to observe,” Swift wrote whereas saying the remix the day earlier than its launch. With the last word cosign, Ice had sufficient auxiliary star energy to launch her into the pop stratosphere and the higher echelon of the charts. “Karma” leaped to No. 2 on the Scorching 100, incomes Ice her third prime 10 and her highest-charting hit up to now.
By the yr’s midway level, Ice confirmed no indicators of slowing down, and located new methods to maintain herself within the dialog. In June, Ice grew to become a part of the pop cultural occasion of the summer time – the Barbie film – by reuniting with Minaj on the bass-bumping “Barbie World” anthem, which sampled Aqua’s 1997 Eurodance smash “Barbie Lady.” The music debuted at No. 7 on the Scorching 100, incomes Ice her fourth prime 10 hit in simply 4 months.
And whereas Ice continued to scorch by way of the mainstream, she and her workforce strategized profession strikes that made certain she didn’t burn out. She opted to drop the deluxe model of Like..? with 4 new songs in July as an alternative of dashing a debut studio album. Her delectable “Deli” lower grew to become the following single and reached No. 41 on the Scorching 100, making it her highest-charting solo single up to now and exhibiting that Ice didn’t have to depend on A-list help for hits.
All eyes have been on Ice, and in August, Billboard awarded her with a brand new title: R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Yr. Regardless of the honour arriving two days earlier than the one-year anniversary of her breakout single “Munch,” the 24-year-old MC’s profession trajectory felt much more established for somebody who was simply getting began. And by the top of the third quarter, she had cemented herself as a family identify.
She and Swift reconnected at one other awards present, this time on the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, and the cameras couldn’t cease capturing their chemistry, in addition to Ice’s teary-eyed acceptance speech when she received finest new artist. To sweeten the pot, Dunkin’ introduced the brand new Ice Spice Munchkins Drink throughout the business break, with a hilarious spot that she filmed alongside acclaimed actor and Dunkin’s No. 1 fan Ben Affleck.
Ice was formally inescapable. And whereas she was connecting with audiences at residence, she was additionally connecting with them around the globe by way of a number of pageant performances. She carried out at Rolling Loud California and Miami; Scorching 97 Summer time Jam, the place she was stunned with a gold plaque for “Munch”; and 4 European festivals within the span of a single week. Ice utilized each efficiency alternative to get higher and higher, gearing up for her function because the supporting act for Doja Cat’s Scarlet Tour in November.
However a month earlier than she hit the highway, Ice made a pit cease at Saturday Night time Reside for her musical visitor debut throughout the season 49 premiere, and the primary reside taping for the reason that author’s strike ended. The stress to ship a memorable efficiency was on, however Ice dealt with it with finesse – and with the assistance of a pair well-known mates. Swift made a shock cameo to introduce Ice earlier than her reside debut efficiency of “Fairly Lady” with Afrobeats star Rema, which dropped the day prior. Ice proved she might steadiness her relationships with A-listers and fellow up-and-comers, whereas dipping her toes into yet one more style, which honored her Nigerian roots.
Ice ended 2023 by effortlessly amassing main accolades like Infinity Stones and prevailing as one of the commercially profitable and culturally related new artists in pop and hip-hop. Ice topped Billboard’s year-end High New R&B/Hip-Hop Artists chart and landed on Forbes 30 Beneath 30 music listing. And she or he earned 4 Grammy nominations forward of subsequent yr’s awards, together with for finest new artist.
Whereas closing out her huge breakout yr, Ice is already plotting an excellent larger 2024. She posted a photograph of her new tramp stamp on Instagram whereas doubtlessly teasing a Y2K challenge for subsequent yr. It might align along with her twenty fourth birthday, for the reason that star was born on January 1, 2000. Ice’s arrival on the turbulent flip of the millennium foreshadowed how a lot the rapper would shake issues up in such a short while. The world simply wasn’t prepared for her, and it nonetheless isn’t.