In pop music, men are catching up to the women.
Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and other female stars have ruled pop music for years. ¶ These days, however, there is a new crop of male stars — such as Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd — that are giving the ladies a run for the money. And many of these artists have upcoming shows in the Bay Area. ¶ Let’s round up the new kings of pop.
Bruno Mars
The 2010s might just be remembered as the decade of Bruno Mars. The Honolulu native has been absolutely unstoppable since releasing his multiplatinum fulllength debut, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” in 2010. He’s built his fortune on hit singles, having delivered some of the bestselling singles of all time — such as “Uptown Funk” and “Just the Way You Are.” BEST SONG >> “Just The Way You Are” TWITTER FOLLOWERS >> 31.9 million FACEBOOK LIKES >> 57.9 million
BAY AREA SHOW >> 8 p.m. Nov. 3; Oracle Arena, Oakland; $49.50-$150, www.ticketmaster.com.
Ed Sheeran
Who knew that “The A Team” — an outof-left-field folk-pop ditty about a drug-addicted prostitute — would be the start of something so big? Many hit singles later, it’s easy to see that Sheeran, who just played the Oracle Arena on Wednesday, is one of this generation’s greatest singer-songwriters and should remain in a force in the business for years to come. His recent appearance on “Game of Thrones” is another story … BEST SONG » “Photograph”
TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 19.8 million FACEBOOK LIKES » 16.9 million
The Weeknd
The Canadian singer-songwriter has proven himself a master of sexy slow jams and groovy R&B dance numbers, to the tune of millions of albums sold around the globe. He’s arguably become the face of modern R&B for this generation, thanks to the No. 1 hits “The Hills,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Starboy” as well as other smashes. BEST SONG » “I Feel It Coming”
TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 6 million
FACEBOOK LIKES » 7.2 million
BAY AREA SHOW » 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8; Oracle Arena; $39.75-$175.75, www.ticketmaster. com.
Sam Hunt
It’s hard to believe that this country music superstar still only has only one fulllength album — 2014’s multi-platinum “Montevallo” — to his credit. Maybe it’s because that debut spawned no fewer than five smash singles. The sophomore release will arrive at some point, and, judging by its first single (“Body Like a Back Road”), it’ll probably be another blockbuster. BEST SONG » “Body Like a Back Road”
TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 513,000
FACEBOOK LIKES » 1 million
BAY AREA SHOW » 7 p.m. Aug. 11; Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View; $26$65.50, www.livenation.com
Shawn Mendes
He’s quickly established himself as one of the genre’s brightest stars. Both of Mendes’ albums, 2015’s “Handwritten” and 2016’s “Illuminate,” have hit No. 1 on the charts, been certified gold/platinum and produced multiple hits (such as “Treat You Better,” “Mercy” and “Stitches”). He was also quite impressive at his recent sold-out headlining show at Oracle Arena.
BEST SONG » “Mercy” TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 11.2 million FACEBOOK LIKES » 6.6 million
Drake
He’s the current king of hip-hop, having dominated the genre like no one else this decade. Sure, he’s got some tough competition for the throne these days — from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper — but Drake is still on top. His latest solo release, “Views,” was the top-selling album — of any genre — in 2016. BEST SONG » “Started from the Bottom” TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 36.2 million FACEBOOK LIKES » 35.9 million
Kendrick Lamar
He was a SoCal sensation first, creating a buzz via mixtapes and one independent album (“Section 80”). Then he released his major-label debut, 2012’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” and quickly became the hottest rapper on the planet. Two more charttopping albums later, Lamar seems well on his way to becoming one of the genre’s all-time greats.
BEST SONG » “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 8.8 million
FACEBOOK LIKES » 8.6 million
BAY AREA SHOWS » 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at Oracle Arena, Oakland; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at SAP Center, San Jose; $49.50-$129.50, www.ticketmaster.com.
Chainsmokers
And the hits just keep right on coming for these EDM-pop heroes, who first came to widespread fame with the 2014 smash “#Selfie.” The New York City-based DJ duo, consisting of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, is currently riding high on the worldwide hit “Something Just Like This” (featuring Coldplay).
BEST SONG » “Paris” TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 1.8 million FACEBOOK LIKES » 8.3 million
Twenty One Pilots
The 2013 major-label debut “Vessel” established this rock/hip-hop duo as one of the hottest acts in the business. Yet, the follow-up, 2015’s “Blurryface,” has taken Twenty One Pilots to the next level, thanks to such multi-platinum singles as “Stressed Out,” “Ride” and “Heathens.”
BEST SONG » “Car Radio”
TWITTER FOLLOWERS » 3.3 million
FACEBOOK LIKES » 3.3 million