Inside the 2026 VMAs, Where Madonna Returns to Her Stage, George Michael Gets His Flowers & GENER8TION Stuns

Madonna‘s relationship with the MTV Video Music Awards started on its very first telecast, back in 1984, when she writhed around on the stage in a fluffy white wedding dress while performing “Like a Virgin.” On Sunday night, the Queen of Pop returned to her rightful stage to open the 2026 VMAs with songs from her Confessions II album and to collect a total seven awards — and Billboard was in the building.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Keith tells Katie all about his night inside the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the 2026 VMAs, where (beyond Madonna, of course) there was a stacked tribute to another MTV legend, George Michael, and the christening of new music video stars too, thanks to the fluid choreography from GENER8TION featuring Yung Lean.

Listen to the full episode to hear Keith’s inside commentary.

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Miley gets her first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in more than a decade, how Riley Green and beabadoobee nab their first top 10s on the Billboard 200, and how Ella Langley’s run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Choosin’ Texas” might be coming to an end (at least temporarily).

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)