A Conversation With Christine Werthman
Billboard’s Managing Editor
BY chloe rudnick ★ MARCH 16th, 2025
design by: Sofia Floresca
For decades, Billboard has been the go-to source for music news. Since 2017, Managing Editor Christine Werthman—a proud Syracuse alum—has been at the forefront of shaping the music conversation. I (virtually) sat down with her to discuss her journey, the fast-paced world of music journalism, and how she manages to keep it all in tune.
You studied magazine journalism and the music industry at Syracuse. How did your time there shape your approach to music journalism?
I think that the magazine and music combination gave me a different lens on things. I felt like because I had some knowledge of how the industry worked and I wasn’t just approaching things as a fan, I was able to ask some harder and more business-oriented questions. I’ve been at Billboard for almost eight years and it was almost, kind of like, destiny. I ended up here purely because it was a trade publication about the music industry, and I really do think the foundation for that was laid for me at Syracuse.
Before joining Billboard, you've worked at CMJ, Complex, Genius, and even The Daily Orange. How has the landscape of music journalism changed since you started and where do you see it heading?
I moved to New York when I was 22, a couple months after college. It was a lot of sleeping on friends' couches and stuff like that. In 2006, New York was a big center for music blogs and there was a whole contingent of all these music writers who would hangout at the same bar. Stereogum was one of the blogs, and Pitchfork was a big thing already, but they were sort of more underground, in a snarkier phase. I would go and do show and album reviews. It was a lot of just getting out there, getting on the street and doing the thing… It's certainly gotten more competitive. The island is ever shrinking. That’s probably not just for music journalism, but for all types…there’s obviously so much news, but it’s like the people who actually do it, just feel like the pool is shrinking. It’s funny to me that even as an undergrad, people were telling me print journalism might be going, but it’s 2025 and I still work at a magazine, it still exists. It’s still something I can hold in my hand so I’m curious to see where that’s going… I don’t know that in the next couple of years print is going to entirely die out, I think that there’s still some interest. There’s something fun about getting on a plane and seeing a Hudson News, where you can grab a magazine.
With social media constantly shaping how people engage with music, how do you decide which digital trends—like TikTok hits or AI-generated content—are worth covering at Billboard and which ones are just temporary?
I remember when TikTok started popping off in the music space, and people realized that songs that are popular on TikTok were also getting popular in the “real world.” At Billboard, we launched a TikTok chart a couple years ago—some people thought we were late to it, but when you see a lot of people giving attention to something, you can never just be complacent in this industry. You have to pay attention, especially where the youth culture is moving, and not just get set in your ways. You have to be open to new technology and at least understand it. Because the second that you close it down or say you’re not going to learn what it is, that’s the second you become an inefficient journalist and you shouldn’t be one anymore. You should just be a reader. Even with the AI stuff, you know the Drake song that had come out, it’s just interesting to learn how that gets made. It’s like okay, well, there’s a story there, so let’s dig into that and figure it out. Our legal reporters were going crazy, they were just like “What's the legal?” The legality of all this AI stuff is such a hot topic in the music industry right now, so you should pay attention to all that… Even if we don’t cover it extensively, we always have someone on staff looking into how viable it is.
How does Billboard approach sensitive or controversial topics in the music industry and what’s your process for ensuring the coverage is both neutral and responsible?
When there is something controversial, we will have an internal meeting about it and how to cover it with sensitivity and good reporting. Those are sort of the very basic measures that really do always work. If someone really doesn’t want to respond and another party is like “I’m gonna go off,” you probably won’t run the person’s entire response because it looks biased. If you run an interview that’s like “This person did this to me” and the other person won't comment, in those cases we’d put the news high up. Then, maybe a sentence or two if we can get one of the parties to comment, and if they decline, we fill the rest with historical background on the topic, and context.
What’s the most exciting or challenging part of your daily routine as Billboard’s Managing Editor?
I do a lot of scheduling and coordinating, and sometimes am the office therapist. You have to be tough but fair, because at the end of the day, journalism is a really tough gig because it can be non-stop. The toughest, but also most rewarding part is just remembering that everyone who we work with is a human, who should have a life inside and outside of work… It’s interesting to me now to be very behind the scenes with stuff, just understanding the process and working with the different staff members to make sure they are in a good position to execute, but also not burn out, because we need them. We need them.
You've worked across multiple beats at Billboard. Whether it be Charts, Pop or Country, which is your favorite to work on and why?
Billboard is the first place where I ever worked that I could truly embrace, and publicly show, my love for pop music. When I was at CMJ, it was very much in the Indie rock era. At XXL, it was hip-hop. We didn’t talk about anything else. And then at Complex it was more hip-hop, although I will say, I remember when Taylor Swift’s 1989 came out, and I remember telling everyone “this album is amazing, you need to listen.” It was so rewarding having a couple hip-hop dudes be like, yeah, that song really slaps. It was Blank Space… So pop probably is my favorite, but country is super fun too. I’ve also never worked at a company that has such robust country coverage… It’s just nice being on a staff of people who have such a wide range of interests. Billboard really does cover all those different genres.
You recently wrote an article called "Cash Cobain, Lola Young & More Artists to Watch in 2025." Of those emerging artists, who is one in particular you think people should be paying the most attention to, and what makes them stand out?
I would say Lola Young already popped off with Messy- it’s a huge song. She is probably going to release new music this year for sure. I had the chance to see her live. She just has a very big voice, and I’m so curious to see what she does with it as an instrument. She has so much room to grow, and I think that she will. I also think Horse Girl is very much in my wheelhouse. They’re a three piece band, originally from Chicago. For all intents and purposes, they’re a rock band.
You wrote in your article "Is The Price of Glam ‘The Biggest Hurdle to Developing Female Artists'?” that "fans expect artists — especially young women — to always look perfect." How do you think artists like Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga’s fashion choices impact their music and the way people see them?
Those are two women who are pushing the boundaries of pop music. It's like their look reflects their sound and vice versa. In the nineties, when I was really listening to a lot of pop music, I loved Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and the Spice Girls, all that stuff. And I still stand by it. It’s great. But I think that to have these, and I said this so lovingly, these pop weirdos be at the forefront, it truly is thrilling. They are taking pop music in such interesting new directions and it’s very interesting…It’s all part of your artistry, like an extension of yourself. Fashion itself is an art. Yes, there can be some negative connotations with the pressure to feel and appear a certain way, but it can also be such a beautiful, exciting thing. It’s a place where you can show even more of your creativity outside of just your music.
Is there a particular article or interview you’ve written at Billboard that stands out as a favorite or was especially meaningful to you?
The glam one was really cool for me just because it wasn’t about interviewing an artist. It was really about digging in and talking to a lot of behind the scenes people. Reporting can be really fun and satisfying. It can be insanely tedious, going through transcripts and pulling stuff together, but that was a really fun one. On an interview basis, I interviewed all three members of boygenius, but separately for their solo projects. Phoebe, when she was part of our Women In Music package. Julien, for one of her album releases. And Lucy, we used to have this thing where we would interview artists about the gear they used. I remember going and sitting with her in person, which is always really fun to do. I got to sit and chat with her about her guitars. All of those were really cool.
What is one song currently on your playlist? And can you say if it is on Spotify or Apple Music?
Let me see. I’m gonna pull it up. Every year I start a new playlist called whatever the year is, so it’s called 2025. Very original. I have them on Spotify dating back to 2010, which has gotten funny. I have no shame about any of my music. I am really liking the Lucy Dacus song Ankles. I thought that one was really good. There’s this UK band Lambrini Girls. They’re super cool. They have a song called Bad Apple that I really liked. And just for my country fandom, I have to include this. One of our country editors informed me about Chris Lane. He has a song called What Am I Supposed To Tell The Dog? It’s great. Perfume Genius is also coming out with a new album this year. There’s just so much good music.