Female Black Pop Stars Are Conspicuously Absent From the Charts — How Did We Get Here & Where Do We Go Next? (Greatest Pop Stars Podcast)

A Greatest Pop Stars podcast episode examines why Black women are under-represented among the leading pop acts on the Billboard charts in 2026, despite releasing music described as among the year’s most compelling. Billboard writer Kyle Denis joins the discussion, which considers barriers facing Black female artists and how listeners might support them.

The episode explores the widening gap between pop and hip-hop, the fading visibility of female rappers who rose in the early 2020s, and the chart trajectories of Ravyn Lenae, Rachel Chinouriri and Tinashe. It asks whether Tinashe’s success with “Popstar” signals a wider breakthrough or a limit, and what could help Black women gain greater recognition.