The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated July 12, we look at a loaded week of new and surging releases,

The soundtrack for Netflix’s new hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ spent its first week on the Billboard 200 in the top 10.

In this week's Trending Up, we look at the animated musical looking to launch multiple songs into major charts contention, as well as exploding streams for the weekend's most controversial act.