| ROBERTAFLACK | She scored a #1 with the hit found at the starts of this puzzle's longest answers |
| MARIAHCAREY | Chanteuse with chart-topping hits found at the tops of 4-, 14-, 16- and 19-Down |
| CHAPPELL | With 28-Across: she scored a sleeper hit with the 2023 album "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" |
| LIAR | Though dishonest, he'll give A£1 with a warm heart (4) |
| SWIMMINGSTROKES | Olympic medley found in order at the starts of this puzzle's four other longest answers |
| KISS | Popular version of a design principle acronym spelled out by the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| RED | The starts of this puzzle's three longest answers are shades of it |
| SAWS | The starts of this puzzle's six longest answers are types of them |
| TOE | Digit associated with the starts of this puzzle's five longest answers |
| DRONE | Bee formed by the letters heard at the starts of this puzzle's theme answers |
| CRONY | Mate, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| RINK | Place where the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers result in a penalty |
| SUCCESSION | HBO series whose main characters are at the starts of this puzzle's other longest answers |
| PERFECT | With the score hidden in each of this puzzle's longest answers, unbeatable Olympics performance |
| VACATION | Break suggested by the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers |
| CASE | Word that can follow the starts of this puzzle's five longest answers |
| EMPTYWORDS | Insincere talk, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's four other longest entries |
| COFFEE | Starbucks energizer, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's theme answers |
| LEANNRIMES | Winner of the 1997 Best New Artist Grammy (or homophonically, the starts of this puzzle's theme entries) |
| EASTER | Word that can precede the starts of this puzzle's nine longest answers |
