Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century Podcast: Shakira (No. 17) & Jay-Z (No. 16)

On this week’s (Sept. 6) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we take a look at a pair of enduring all-time greats: the Queen of Latin Music Shakira and the rap GOAT Jay-Z.

First, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Espa?ol‘s Isabela Raygoza and Sigal Ratner-Arias to trace Shakira’s journey from Colombian rockera to global pop star to elder stateswoman of Latin popular music. We cover what made her such a striking presence in early ’00s pop music, how she was able to meet American pop icons like Beyoncé and Rihanna on even footing in collaborations, and why you kinda have to throw the chart stats out the window when evaluating her overall legacy. Of course, we also discuss her most recent (and most triumphant) comeback, where she fought through personal tumult and emerged with a pair of 2020s smashes bigger than most hitmakers half her age could manage.

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Then (at the 38:38 mark), Billboard Hip-Hop’s Angel Diaz and Michael Saponara stop by to quote scripture from the Book of J-Hova. We start with how Jay-Z was already well on his way to all-time great status by the turn of the millennium, but try to capture how his early-’00s run helped bring not just his own career but all of hip-hop to new heights within pop music and pop culture. Then, we discuss his retirement (and his first of many comebacks), his career-defining relationships with Beyoncé and Kanye West, and his sometimes divisive later work — before asking whether or not Jay might still have one more classic left in him.

Listen to our latest below, catch up on our past episodes here, and be sure to subscribe to Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century series wherever you get your podcasts! (New episodes will be revealed every Friday, following the publishing of our two new Greatest Pop Star rankings for that week.)

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