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The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to cross something off your list?
WIth the election just behind us, you might be looking for distractions to get your mind off of politics when it comes to family time. Here’s some suggestions in entertainment for the week.
Get out the Nintendo Switch to play the latest Mario RPG (role-playing game). My childhood had Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for Super Nintendo — I admit I used the physical game guidebook to help me out with that one — but now kids have a bunch of Mario RPGs to choose from, and the internet if they get stuck! The newest release is part of the Mario & Luigi series, Mario & Luigi: Brothership.
In music, we’ve got a roundup of all the just-announced Grammy-nominated albums for best children’s music all in one place, making it easy for you to listen together. One of them is a John Legend album that features his family, pictured above, as musical guests.
Plus, in new releases, Christmas songs are trickling in to remind you the season is upon us. Retired NFL player Jason Kelce has a holiday duet out with the iconic Stevie Nicks, and Charlie Puth has a festive new song, too. Weirdly, all three of those names link back to Taylor Swift — Swifties will know the connections.
Speaking of Swift, music journalist and longtime fan Rob Sheffield has a book coming out about her, and how she reinvented pop music, that I’ll be picking up for my family: Heartbreak Is the National Anthem.
Find out more about this week’s top picks in the Billboard Family Hits of the Week:
Play ‘Mario & Luigi: Brothership’
Mario & Luigi: Brothership, the latest RPG in the Mario franchise, is now available for Nintendo Switch. All ages enjoy Mario in our house, and as a parent, I like that this type of video game usually requires strategic thinking. In the Brothership game, Mario and Luigi go on a nautical adventure as they’re transported from the Mushroom Kingdom to a place called Concordia, tasked with reconnecting its islands that have drifted apart.
Whether you’re looking for something new to play together ASAP or want to hide it away as a gift for the upcoming holidays, you can get the game at Target for $59.99.
Stream New Holiday Music Releases
Mariah Carey already announced “it’s time,” so it is officially OK to kick off the holiday season with festive songs, old and new. Families all have their holiday favorites, but every year there’s new tunes to consider adding to the mix. Sometimes they’re feel-good, sometimes they’re full of melancholy — there’s a time for both. This week delivered a couple musical stocking stuffers.
Charlie Puth’s “December 25th” — with the chorus “December 25th is the day I always miss you the most, oh/ ‘Cause the music and the lights/ It reminds me of the night/ That you told me you had to go” — is one of those sweet, sad Christmas songs backed by lightly jolly music.
Former Phildelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce got Stevie Nicks in the studio for a cover of Ron Sexsmith’s “Maybe This Christmas,” recorded with The Philly Specials, for the new collection A Philly Special Christmas Party. “Maybe forgiveness will ask us to call/ Someone we love, someone we’ve lost/ For reasons we can’t quite recall/ Maybe this Christmas,” Nicks sings on the tune about reconnecting with loved ones for the holidays.
Listen to the Grammy Nominees for Best Children’s Music Album
Grammy nominations were announced Friday (Nov. 8). Five albums are in consideration for the award of best children’s music album, the most family-centric category of the Grammys: releases from Lucky Diaz and The Family Jam Band, Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats, John Legend, Rock for Children and Divinity Roxx and Divi Roxx Kids. Have you heard them all? Grab the streams below and add them to your family’s playlist to catch up with these celebrated works:
Brillo, Brillo!, Lucky Diaz and The Family Jam Band
Creciendo, Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats
My Favorite Dream, John Legend
Solid Rock Revival, Rock for Children
World Wide Playdate, Divinity Roxx and Divi Roxx Kids
Read ‘Heartbreak Is the National Anthem’
Rob Sheffield, who’s been reviewing and ranking Taylor Swift’s music for Rolling Stone for many years, writes about her in a way fans understand. He’s a journalist and a Swiftie himself, with extensive knowledge of her discography, her musical references, her strength as a songwriter and storyteller, and the impact her brand has made. He’s got a biography about Swift’s incredible career that’s being released on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Heartbreak Is the National Anthem — a title pulled from one of Swift’s song lyrics — can be purchased on Amazon here. Fascination with Swift’s story crosses generations, and I plan to pick up a copy to read with my 12-year-old.
