Lizzo at Bonnaroo Festival

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As the lineups for major music festivals slowly started to drop in early January, a frustratingly familiar reaction also began to echo across social media: Where were the women? Not just women in the headliner slots, which was a notable absence on the Coachella lineup, but also across the rest of the lineups at other major festivals like Bonnaroo and Shaky Knees. Even among bright spots, like Lizzo making history as the first solo woman to earn a headliner slot at Bonnaroo’s legendary Tennessee jam, the victories are bittersweet; it’s 2020 and a woman has never headlined Bonnaroo? What? Boston Calling, meanwhile, announced another slate of all-male headliners. Still, the fault doesn’t lie solely with festival bookers, agents, and fans when it comes to the double standard in the music industry. And occasionally, in years like 2020, the scales are tipped by a number of factors, including the logistics of which artists are on album cycle and prepared to deliver a live performance on the scale of a festival appearance. For instance, Lorde, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Cardi B, and Beyonce are all not in the running to headline festivals yet this year — six of the most prominent female artists in the world unavailable makes booking women in big slots trickier than it might seem. — Caitlin White, Uproxx Pop Critic unpacks the ongoing problem with representation for women on festival lineups, especially when it comes to headlining spots. Pop sensations Why Don’t We recently toured Australia and our friends at Songkick went behind the scenes to capture their amazing experience in a new episode of IMPORTED. Hit the banner to check it out. NUMBER ONE STUNNERS RODDY RICH While Roddy Ricch takes the top victory again at the No. 1 slot on the Billboard singles chart, with “The Box,” a close race between him and pop queen Selena Gomez was taking place for the No. 1 slot on the albums chart. Whether or not hand counting votes was what delayed Billboard reporting the data or not, we’ve finally got that result today, a couple days later than normal. And while I love Ricch, I’m more than happy to report that Gomez was able to snag the No. 1 album spot after all, earning the recognition her third solo album, Rare, really does deserve, and picking up her third overall No. 1 album. Congrats to both Selena and Roddy! LISTEN BUBBLING UNDER GEORGIA Five years ago, Georgia Barnes released her self-titled debut, a glitchy, euphoric record that introduced the twenty-something, London-based producer to the world in one magnetic rush. Now, five years later, she’s back with another dancefloor-ready, skittering bit of majesty. Her second album, Seeking Thrills, came out at the top of January 2020, and is perfect for late-night dreaming, dancing, or as the soundtrack for diligently working on a passion project. For those who want to hear and see and feel more women in the electronic music space, and more inclusion in general, Georgia’s latest release is a promising, swaggering early entry for 2020. LISTEN REMEMBER WHEN JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE It’s impossible to imagine the face of pop music today without the iconic boy band, NSYNC. After the group’s success in the ‘90s, breakout star Justin Timberlake also gave us the pop classic FutureSex/LoveSounds, and while his work since has been hit or miss, we’ll always have “SexyBack” and “Summer Love.” Later this month, on the 31st, Timberlake celebrates his 39th birthday. Yes that makes him an Aquarius… that explains so much. LOVE LETTERS SELENA GOMEZ Let’s be honest — most of us have been patiently waiting for the day when Selena Gomez gets over Justin Bieber, and began quietly rejoicing that he finally married someone else last year. Even more reason for rejoicing: Selena’s new album is about her experience of healing and renewal after a tumultuous, decade-long relationship with Bieber. When the album’s first single, “Lose You To Love Me,” became her first No. 1, it became clear just how important this record would be, not only for her overall well-being, but also for her career. Even though it’s her third full-length record, this album definitely opens a new chapter for Selena, becoming a balm for anyone else in the process of getting free in 2020. Rare is just that, a unique album about dodging a bullet, realizing self-worth, and yes, embracing the urge to dance again. LISTEN This email was sent by: Warner Music Group 1633 Broadway New York, NY 10019 USA