It wasn’t the busiest month for new releases in December 2025, with the holiday season looming over everything and most of our biggest pop stars seemingly resting up for 2026. But there were still artists who made Billboard history, mark ends of eras and put bows on their dominant calendar years, as well as some slow-burning breakouts who announced themselves as future hitmakers to keep an eye on in the new year.

This week, before we start to unveil our picks for the Greatest Pop Stars of all 2025, we look back at the December that was in pop stardom. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Jason Lipshutz and Danielle Pascual to share and debate our respective December top five lists, while also naming some honorable mentions, some disappointments, and some artists who we’re looking forward to in the final months of the year. (If you missed our recaps of the first 11 months of 2025, check them out here, including our review of the entire first half of the year in pop stardom.)

While doing so, we answer all the big questions about December pop stardom: Did we get emotional watching the End of an Era documentary series? Who should rate as a bigger December pop star, EsDeeKid or his doppelgänger/collaborator Timothée Chalamet? What do we think the cryptic end-of-tour video Harry Styles posted means? Does Cameron Winter and his band Geese really belong in the Greatest Pop Star conversation? Is Zara Larsson the new Robyn? And most importantly: Can we just write it in stone that if you set the all-time record for longest-reigning Hot 100 No. 1 song, you automatically get to be the Greatest Pop Star of the month?

Check it out above, along with a YouTube playlist of some of the greatest moments in December 2025 pop stardom — all of which are discussed on the pod — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!

Also, make your own picks for the Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 here, before we start rolling out our list next week!

And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:

Transgender Law Center

Trans Lifeline

Destination Tomorrow

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.