Pop Shop Podcast: Alex Newell on Debut EP & Adam Lambert Tour; Plus Kendrick Lamar at No. 1, Ariana Grande on 'SNL'

Welcome to the latest episode of the Billboard.com Pop Shop Podcast, Billboard's weekly half-hour audio breakdown of the Billboard charts, hottest music news and year's biggest musical events. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard co-director of charts Keith Caulfield and Billboard.com senior editor Katie Atkinson every Tuesday on the Pop Shop Podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in iTunes (click here to listen to the previous episode on Billboard.com).

On our latest show, we chat with singer Alex Newell, who recently hit the top five of the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart with his debut EP Power. Fans of Fox’s Glee series know the big-voiced Newell from his work on the show as Unique Adams -- a role he secured via the reality competition series The Glee Project. In our interview with Newell, we discuss his new music, how he’s been singing since he was just 2 years old, and his friendship with Adam Lambert -- and how it led to a concert tour together. (Newell is touring with Lambert through April 3.)

Tomorrow's Hits: Alex Newell's "This Ain't Over" & More

Also on the podcast, Keith and Katie chat about how Kendrick Lamar scored his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in less than a year with his new Untitled Unmastered, the career-high bow of Loretta Lynn’s new Full Circle album, The 1975’s latest historic chart distinction, Mike Posner’s rise to the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” Meghan Trainor’s big debut with “No” and Zendaya’s return to the chart with “Something New.” Plus, we discuss Ariana Grande’s guest turn on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Katie surprises Keith with a quiz game about SNL, and we dive into the No. 1 chart history of Starship.

Listen above and click here to subscribe/rate the Pop Shop Podcast on iTunes.