Whether as the frontman of the Jonas Brothers or with his dance-rock outfit DNCE, Joe Jonas is one of the most recognizable pop artists of his generation. Jonas initially rose to fame in the 2000s alongside his siblings Nick and Kevin, crafting hook-filled power pop anthems like "S.O.S.," "Play My Music," and "Paranoid," hits that consistently landed their albums in the Top Five of the Billboard 200. A string of popular Disney Channel productions followed, including appearances on Hannah Montana and in the film Camp Rock, all of which helped to solidify the group's pop icon status. Jonas built upon that success, releasing his debut solo album, Fastlife, in 2011. Transcending, but never eschewing his teen pop roots, he also formed the '80s dance-rock and new wave-inspired group DNCE, scoring hits like "Cake By the Ocean" and "Toothbrush," which helped take the group's 2017 debut DNCE to number 17 on the Billboard 200. Along with Jonas Brothers reunions, Jonas has continued to straddle acting and music worlds, appearing on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones and judging competition shows like The Voice. More DNCE singles arrived in 2022 with "Move" and "Got Me Good." Also that year, starred in the Korean War drama Devotion, contributing the single "Not Alone" (featuring Khalid) to the soundtrack.

Born in 1989 in Casa Grande, Arizona, Jonas grew up on a musical family with a songwriter and ordained minister father and singer/sign language teacher mother. Initially, the Jonas Brothers started off as a solo project for Joe's younger brother, Nick, who acted in several Broadway shows before signing a record contract with INO Records in 2004. Joe, who'd already done some Broadway acting of his own, helped write several songs on Nick's debut album. Those tracks eventually wound their way onto the desk of Columbia Records president Steve Greenberg, who decided to promote the three Jonas siblings as a pop band instead.

The Jonas Brothers broke through in 2007, when their self-titled second album debuted at number five during its first week. The boys also proved to be popular on television, landing their own Disney Channel movie franchise (Camp Rock) and launching two TV shows (Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream and JONAS). Branching off, Joe scored a Top Ten hit in 2008 with "This Is Me," a duet he'd recorded with Demi Lovato for the Camp Rock soundtrack. Two years later, he announced plans for a solo album, which arrived in 2011 with the release of Fastlife. Well received, the album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart.

With the breakup of the Jonas Brothers in 2013, Joe began toying with the idea of forming another act. However, rather than choosing to hire studio musicians, he eventually wrangled the talents of two former Jonas Brothers touring musicians, Korean-born guitarist JinJoo Lee (Jordin Sparks, Charli XCX, Cee Lo Green) and drummer Jack Lawless (Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus), along with former Semi Precious Weapons bassist/keyboardist Cole Whittle. In 2015, the newly minted DNCE released an EP that included the hit single "Cake by the Ocean." A year later, they delivered the full-length album DNCE, featuring production from Sir Nolan, Ilya, Mattman & Robin, and others. Buoyed by the single "Body Moves," it reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.

With DNCE on hiatus, Jonas delivered the 2018 solo single "It's Party Time." He also reunited with the Jonas Brothers for the group's fifth album, 2019's Happiness Begins. Featured on the album were several Ryan Tedder productions, including the lead-off single "Sucker" and "Cool." It became the group's third straight album to top the Billboard 200. Following a 2021 tour with his brothers, Jonas released another solo track, "Go It Alone." The following year, he paired with Khalid for "Not Alone," contributing the song to the soundtrack to the Korean War-era drama Devotion, in which he also starred. Also in 2022, he brought DNCE out of hiatus with the single "Move." ~ Matt Collar & Andrew Leahey

Just out of high school when he made his commercial debut with the ballad "Location" (2016), non-traditional R&B singer and songwriter Khalid has attracted a large following with an undemonstrative but heartfelt vocal style and a down-to-earth perspective. Although he attained a major-label contract within months of uploading his first songs, "Location" moved into the mainstream at a slow tempo similar to that of the song itself and became a Top 20 pop hit just after the release of American Teen (2017), one of the biggest album debuts of the late 2010s. Within a period of just over a year, Khalid went from an unknown, everyday teenager to a chart-topping, platinum-certified pop star with Grammy nominations for "Location" and American Teen, plus Logic's "1-800-237-8255," on which he appeared. The Billboard 200-topping Free Spirit (2019) wasn't released until two years after American Teen, but Khalid was busy throughout the interim with an assortment of featured appearances and collaborations, highlighted by the Top Ten pop hits "Love Lies" (with Normani) and "Eastside" (headlined by Benny Blanco). Khalid returned to his solo work with the 2021 mixtape Scenic Drive (The Tape) and 2023's Everything Is Changing.

Khalid Robinson was raised by his mother, whose military career necessitated an itinerant upbringing. Originally from Fort Stewart, Georgia, he also lived on military reservations in Kentucky and New York, as well as in Heidelberg, Germany, before his mother was transferred to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Throughout, music had been a constant -- Khalid started singing as early as he could speak, and his mother performed with the U.S. Army Chorus -- but a supportive environment at El Paso's Americas High School sparked his creativity and boosted his confidence. While at Americas, Khalid uploaded his first recordings. They quickly reached A&R executive Tunji Balogun, who signed the artist to major-label RCA.

Khalid's commercial debut was made in August 2016, three months after he received his high school diploma, with "Location." A sparse love ballad produced by a team of six including Smash David and Syk Sense, it reflected the singer's affinity for the likes of James Blake and Frank Ocean. The anti-anthemic second single "Young Dumb & Broke" didn't arrive until the following February, as "Location" was remarkably still gaining ground, and set up the March release of the album American Teen. Containing both singles, the LP entered the Billboard 200 at number nine. "Location" finally peaked on the R&B/hip-hop and Hot 100 charts, respectively at numbers two and 16, two months later, and "Young Dumb & Broke" likewise took off gradually, ultimately topping the R&B/hip-hop chart and landing within the pop Top 20. Khalid became a sought-after featured artist in the process. He and Alessia Cara contributed to Logic's April 2017 single "1-800-237-8255," a Top Ten pop hit titled after the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The song was subsequently nominated for Grammy Awards in the categories of Song of the Year and Best Music Video. At the same time, "Location" was up for Best R&B Song, American Teen was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album, and Khalid himself was among the nominees for Best New Artist.

A discography of featured roles that included additional 2017 singles such as Calvin Harris' "Rollin'," Marshmello's "Silence," and a remix of Lorde's "Homemade Dynamite" continued to grow through 2018. Khalid made more chart impressions via Shawn Mendes' "Youth" and Benny Blanco's Top Ten hit "Eastside," among other appearances. More prominently as a headliner or co-headliner, Khalid contributed to the soundtracks of Love, Simon, 13 Reasons Why, and Superfly; the Normani duet "Love Lies" went Top Ten; and he also charted alongside Billie Eilish with "Lovely." Meanwhile, Khalid worked on his second album with the singles "OTW" and "Better." The latter topped the R&B/hip-hop chart, went Top 20 pop, and appeared on Suncity, an EP issued that October. Early the next year, Khalid issued "Saturday Nights" and "Talk" before the April arrival of Free Spirit, which entered the Billboard 200 at number one. "Talk," a number three pop hit, earned the singer his sixth Grammy nomination, this one for Record of the Year.

"New Normal" appeared in July 2021 as the first track off his forthcoming third album, Everything Is Changing. In December of that year, Khalid offered up Scenic Drive (The Tape), his first mixtape, which featured contributions from Alicia Keys, Ari Lennox, and Majid Jordan, among others. More singles arrived in 2022, including "Last Call," "Numb" (with Marshmello), and "Wish You Were Here" (with Lukas Graham). Everything Is Changing was released in 2023. ~ Andy Kellman