G S R A D M A R M Y AW Perry to tweet, “HOLY SHIT @PINK’s to Die, with production from @AMA PERFORMANCE IS THE STUFF longtime collaborators Rick OF LEGEND.” Nowels (Madonna, John Legend) and Emile Haynie (Bruno Mars, “Shape of You” Kanye West) and new credits from ED SHEERAN Benny Blanco (Ed Sheeran, Julia “Shape of You,” one of two lead singles Michaels) and superproducer Max Coldplay played (along with “Castle on the Hill”) from Martin (Britney Spears, Taylor Swift). the iHeartRadio Music Festival Sheeran’s third studio album, ÷ (Divide), The set also includes a bevy of A-list in Las Vegas in found the British singer-songwriter guests: The Weeknd on the title track, September. slurring about the pitfalls of a waning A$AP Rocky on “Summer Bummer” and romance on the dancefloor, singing, “The “Groupie Love,” Stevie Nicks on “Beautiful club isn’t the best place to find a lover, so People Beautiful Problems” and Sean Ono songwriter mom. The release earned Kesha the bar is where I go.” The dancehall- and Lennon on “Tomorrow Never Came.” As her second No. 1 on the Billboard 200, tropical-pop-infused track, anchored on she did with Ultraviolence in 2014, Del Rey without Dr. Luke. marimba-driven percussion and Sheeran’s reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with signature acoustic guitar, was originally Lust for Life. Joanne intended for Rihanna, and co-written by LADY GAGA P!nk’s previous collaborators Steve Mac Evolve Partnering with British producer Mark and Johnny McDaid. Keeping the track IMAGINE DRAGONS Ronson for her fifth studio album,Joanne , for himself proved a smart move for the With the release of the band’s brooding Gaga delivered a bold set of retro, country- busker-turned-pop star: The sultry song third full-length album, Evolve, Imagine tinged pop tracks that avoided trends became only the seventh track to have Dragons topped both Top Rock Albums altogether. The album sideswipes the top 40 HOW WILL YOU spent at least 20 weeks at No. 1 on the and Alternative Albums in July and dancefloor earworms of her early efforts CELEBRATE IF YOU Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart, reclaimed Grammy contender status. The — the experimental “high art” of 2013’s WIN A GRAMMY? and bested Sheeran’s previous 19-week Las Vegas act earned its first two Grammy Artpop and the jazzy stylings of 2014’s Tony stay atop the tally, with 2015’s “Thinking nominations for “Radioactive,” from 2012 Bennett collaboration, Cheek to Cheek — for JULIA MICHAELS Out Loud.” album Night Visions, and that song won something a bit more personal. The album the award for best rock performance. Its title is a nod to her aunt who died in 1974 “I would BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM 2014 release, Smoke & Mirrors, debuted at the age of 19 from complications from celebrate with at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. For Evolve, lupus. The heartfelt set, which boasted hits all the tequila, all Kaleidoscope EP the pop-rockers linked up with Swedish “Perfect Illusion” and “Million Reasons,” the hot Cheetos, COLDPLAY production duo Mattman & Robin and as well as a collaboration with Florence + all the pizza, all Kaleidoscope arrived in July as a belated top songwriter Justin Tranter, the trio The Machine’s Florence Welch (“Hey the family, all companion EP to Coldplay’s full-length responsible for past hits like Selena Girl”), earned Gaga her fourth No. 1 on the the friends, all 2015 album, A Head Full of Dreams: It was a Gomez’s “Hands to Myself” and DNCE’s Billboard 200. the people that five-track placeholder released in the midst “Cake by the Ocean.” The lead single, have gotten of the band’s sweeping stadium tour. It also “Believer,” was inspired by frontman Dan ÷ (Divide) me to where followed Coldplay’s strategy from a decade Reynolds’ struggle with depression. “I just ED SHEERAN I am today. I earlier, when 2008’s Prospekt’s March EP live hard. I love hard. I cry hard. I laugh Following a self-imposed hiatus from would go all out followed the full-length Viva la Vida or hard,” he tweeted in June. social media, Sheeran returned — all out!” Death and All His Friends. But Kaleidoscope reinvigorated at the top of 2017 with the NOMINATED FOR Rainbow SONG OF THE YEAR marked the rockers’ furthest sonic stretch announcement of his third studio (“ISSUES”) AND BEST to date, highlighted by “Something Just KESHA album, ÷ (Divide), bolstered NEW ARTIST Like This,” a collaboration with pop-EDM “I got too many people, got by not one but two singles: en vogue producers The Chainsmokers. a lot to prove wrong,” coos the slick megahit “Shape That track earned Coldplay its first No. 1 singer- songwriter Kesha of You” and the alt-rock on the Pop Songs radio airplay chart. The over a delicate acoustic leaning, country-back-road EP also includes a collaboration with Big guitar to kick-start her anthem “Castle on the Sean on “Miracles (Someone Special),” comeback album, the aptly Hill.” The double-whammy producer Markus Dravs on “A L I E N S” titled Rainbow, with twangy P!nk approach paid off, with the and a reunion with Brian Eno, the group’s album opener “Bastards.” album debuting at No. 1 on producer and collaborator on Viva la Vida Amid her court battle with the Billboard 200. By July 13, and 2011’s Mylo Xyloto. producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald the 16-track set collectively earned the and the subsequent #FreeKesha social former U.K. couch-surfer over 1 billion on- Lust for Life media firestorm, the Nashville-bred artist demand audio streams in the United States, LANA DEL REY returned to her roots for the victory lap of according to Nielsen Music. Sheeran, a On the cover of her plush, politically a third full-length LP. The album features Grammy darling since his debut in 2011, has charged fourth album, Lust for Life, Del collaborations with rockers Eagles of Death received a bevy of nominations, including Rey (real name: Elizabeth Grant) is smiling Metal (“Let ’Em Talk,” “Boogie Feet”), best new artist in 2014 and album of the wide. The album is her statement in the The Dap-Kings (“Woman”) and even Dolly year and best pop vocal album in 2015 for age of Donald Trump and also presents a Parton, on a duet of the country legend’s x (Multiply), plus two previous wins, for song return to her sonic origins, recalling her 1980 hit “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle of the year and best pop solo performance pop-star-in-the-making 2012 debut, Born to You),” penned by Pebe Sebert, Kesha’s in 2016 for “Thinking Out Loud.” COLDPLAY: DENISE TRUSCELLO/GETTY IMAGES. P!NK: RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES. MICHAELS: REBECCA SAPP/WIREIMAGE..