State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Trending on Billboard Phish is heading back to Las Vegas. The iconic jam-rock group will return to Sphere next spring for a nine-show residency, expanding on the four-night run that marked its acclaimed debut at the venue in 2024. The new dates — April 16–18, April 23–25 and April 30–May 2, 2026 — were announced […]
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“This has been the biggest labor of love,” Pentatonix’s Kirstin Maldonado says of the group’s latest seasonal album, Christmas in the City. “We’re all just really proud of it.”
The project, which the quintet began planning in January, was inspired by the magic of the holidays in New York and features a bevy of original songs as well as a host of Christmas classics.
On the latest episode of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below), Pentatonix’s Maldonado and Matt Sallee join the show to chat about their new album (which marked the act’s 11th top 10 on Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart), all things holiday music, and their current tour.
The concept of Christmas In the City was initially sparked by a holiday ornament that Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying spotted at a festive holiday market in New York, says Sallee. That led the group to put together the title track, and soon, the rest of the collection snowballed from there. (And, while the album’s genesis may be owed to the Big Apple, Sallee notes the group is “trying to bring joy” to “every city” with the album and the tour.)
“We really wanted to make this album feel like it was a classic Christmas album paying homage to the ‘40s and the ‘50s and it can live in those classic playlists,” says Sallee, “so that’s a big reason why we used different instrumentation [and] sonics.” Certainly the “classic” vibe is aided by how the album not only showcases Pentatonix’s soaring harmonies, but also boasts dozens of musicians playing live instruments.
Further, more than half of Christmas in the City consists of newly written tunes, with all five of Pentatonix’s members (Mitch Grassi, Hoying, Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Sallee) writing material on the effort. There are also some familiar favorites present, including “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Silver Bells” and a new take on “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” with the late, great Frank Sinatra (who died in 1998).
“They blessed us with his voice,” says Maldonado of the Frank Sinatra Estate, who let Pentatonix use a previously unreleased vocal take of Sinatra singing the Irving Berlin-penned standard. “This arrangement is perfectly what we wanted to achieve within this album too… I feel so proud of it. I love it so much.”
“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” also serves as the album’s first radio-promoted single, and the track jumps 12-9 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary airplay chart dated Dec. 6. It marks the eighth top 10 for Pentatonix and the 21st for Sinatra (and his first since 1980).
JoJo also joins Pentatonix on the album on one of the set’s new originals, “Snowing in Paris.” “She sounds so amazing” on the track, says Maldonado. “She’s so talented and so kind. We love her.” Sallee adds, “She’s so insanely talented and gifted as a vocalist. It’s one of those, like, whoa, speechless moments when you hear her singing on the track. It’s just so good.”
And it wouldn’t be Christmastime without a holiday tour from Pentatonix, as the group has mounted a seasonal trek yearly since 2017 (save for 2020, owed to the COVID-19 pandemic). This year’s tour, aptly titled the Christmas in the City Tour, launched on Nov. 8 and is slated to wrap on Dec. 22 in Fort Worth, Texas. The group will then mount a U.K. and European tour next year that is scheduled to start April 7 in Budapest and continue on through May 3 in Stockholm.
As Pentatonix has become a staple of the holiday touring season, Sallee says he can “recognize faces” of fans who have come to the show year after year. “We’re blessed to be able to be families’ traditions each year. … It’s just such a special, humbling gift that we’re something that could bring a family…together and listen to our music and come to a concert and just have a good time together.”
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Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how there’s a brand-new No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 thanks to Stray Kids’ DO IT; how the Wicked: For Good soundtrack casts a spell on the charts; and how a legendary rock band returns to the Billboard 200 top 10 for the first time in over 10 years. Plus, hosts Katie and Keith chat about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, how holiday music is starting to take over the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and much more.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
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Tonight, the world of country music is celebrating the holidays. ABC’s CMA Country Christmas musical special is back and bringing with it a jam-packed lineup of performances to a live audience in Nashville. Hosted by by Jordan Davis and Lauren Dangle, fans can expect a very merry, festive lineup of country stars including Riley Green, Lady A, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and BeBe Winans.
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Don’t have cable? There’s plenty of ways to stream tonight’s Christmas special online and even for free. Keep scrolling to check out our guide to watching the CMA Country Christmas Special.
How to Watch CMA Country Christmas Without Cable for Free
With the CMA Country Christmas special streaming on ABC, there are a few great streaming options that will let you watch ABC online for free or for a discounted price. All the below streamers let you watch ABC online without cable and stream content from your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV. Check below to find the right option for your viewing needs.
DirecTV
You can watch ABC online for free on DirecTV, which is offering a 5-day free trial for new users who sign up for one of the four packages. DirecTV lets you watch live television online and its channel packages include a live feed of ABC.
Besides access to hundreds of live TV channels, you’ll also receive unlimited DVR storage, local channels and the ability to stream on as many devices as you want. After your free trial, DirecTV plans start at $49.99/month.
Fubo TV
FuboTV is another affordable live TV streamer as it comes with a five-day free trial for new users who sign up. The streaming service has three different plans, including a new skinny bundle called “Sports + News” that starts at only $45.99 for the first month ($55.99 per month afterwards). In addition, Fubo has $30 off their Pro and Elite plans for the first month right now, which includes more than 300 channels, as well as 1,000 hours of free DVR and the option to stream on 10 devices at once.
Sling TV
Sling TV is offering new half off off their first month with any of its three packages. You can choose from: the Orange, Blue or Orange + Blue. However, ABC is only offered on the Blue package, but you can watch simulcasted games on ESPN3 (which is only offered on Sling’s Orange package). Rather than choose between the two, you can combine the two with the Orange + Blue package, which will give you access to more than 50 channels, DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to three devices.
Hulu + Live TV
A subscription to Hulu + Live TV gets you more than 95 live TV channels, such as ABC, to watch live sports, TV series and specials whenever you want. You also get access to the entire Hulu on-demand library (including select ABC content available to watch the day after it airs).
Right now, the streamer is offering three-day free trial. Once the trial is over, a regular subscription starts for $89.99 per month.
For even more content options, Hulu + Live TV includes a subscription both Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which will give you access to more sports coverage and ESPN exclusive content.
Trending on Billboard Oak View Group (OVG) has officially named Chris Granger as CEO, elevating the veteran sports and live-entertainment executive after five months in the interim CEO role. The appointment is effective immediately. Granger replaces former CEO and company founder Tim Leiweke, who was indicted earlier this year on federal bid-rigging charges related to […]
Songs by Mark Mothersbaugh, Danny Elfman, Iggy Pop, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump & more soundtrack these children’s animated series.
12/2/2025
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After seven years of marriage, Nick Jonas is still a sucker for Priyanka Chopra.
In a sweet post on his Instagram Story on Monday (Dec. 1), the Jonas Brothers star shared a photo of his famous wife lounging on a towel by a luxurious pool. “7 years married to my dream girl,” he wrote in awe.
Reposting it on her own Story, the Bollywood icon added, “You’re what dreams are made of.”
The two stars first connected in 2016, after which they attended the 2017 Met Gala together as friends. But come 2018, Jonas and Chopra were fully a couple, with the pair both getting engaged and tying the knot that year.
In January 2022, they welcomed their first child together, daughter Malti. “Thank you @priyankachopra for the incredible Father Daughter sneakers and for making me a daddy I love you so much,” Jonas wrote on Instagram on Father’s Day that year.
The couple’s anniversary comes just a couple of days after Chopra shared photos of her adorable family and reflected on their life together in a Thanksgiving post on Instagram. “Sometimes I catch myself being in complete awe of the beauty, wonder and love all around me,” she wrote on Saturday (Nov. 29). “This thanksgiving I’m so grateful for health, joy, togetherness and the simple pleasures of life that we tend to take for granted sometimes … I’m just reminding myself one of the best things in life is being able to be surrounded by your loved ones.”
Fans of the Chopra-Jonas family can catch all three of them in Hulu’s new A Very Jonas Christmas Move, which premiered on Nov. 14 alongside a corresponding soundtrack. The Quantico alum makes a brief cameo with little Malti at the very end, appearing alongside the rest of the Jonas family to help welcome Nick, Joe and Kevin home for the holidays after a tumultuous world tour.
The life Nick and Chopra have built together will now inform the former’s first solo album in five years, Sunday Best, which is set to drop Feb. 6 next year. Featuring 11 tracks, the project will find the musician sharing his perspectives as a husband and father.
“I’m so excited to share these new stories, candid thoughts, quiet walks home in the city, and snapshots of my life over these past few years,” he said in a statement at the time of the album announcement on Monday. “And while this album was made over the course of the last two years, it was truly 33 years in the making.”
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Kendrick Lamar knows a thing or two about diss tracks — and it sounds like he won’t have to worry about one from Jussie Smollett anytime soon.
During an episode of Cam Newton’s Funky Fridays podcast over the weekend, the Empire star reflected on Lamar’s controversial 2022 “The Heart Part 5” music video, in which the rapper morphed into deepfaked versions of embattled Black male celebrities such as Smollett, Will Smith, O.J. Simpson, Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Nipsey Hussle.
“Maybe I’m completely naive, so don’t f—ing fill me in about anything… but I don’t know. I don’t know what Kendrick meant by the video. I really don’t,” Smollett said with a laugh. “I respect him as an artist, and that’s about as far as it can go. You ain’t going to see me putting out no diss track against him, I’m not doing that!”
When Lamar dropped “The Heart Part 5,” which won 2023 Grammys for best rap song and best rap performance, he neglected to provide a statement contextualizing the immediately divisive and intensely political music video. Given his selection of Black male celebrities battling various scandals, some viewers interpreted the Dave Free-co-directed video as a commentary on hypocrisy, fame and public perception. “Heart Part 5” earned additional Grammy nominations for best music video, as well as song and record of the year.
The music video, which also picked up two MTV Video Music Awards nods, arrived three years after Smollett was arrested for staging an alleged hate crime, sued by the city of Chicago, and sentenced to 150 days in jail. He ultimately served six days behind bars before being released on bond and having his conviction overturned in 2024. Due to the scandal, Empire writers removed Smollett’s character from the final two episodes of the series’ fifth season. Through the show, Smollett reached the Billboard Hot 100 with soundtrack singles such as “Keep Your Money” (No. 99), “You’re So Beautiful” (No. 47, with Yazz) and “Conqueror” (No. 42, with Estelle).
“Most people have made up their minds about what they want to believe,” the vocalist told Newton. “Either way, okay. Because at this point, my people know. My mother has always known. My siblings have always known. My love has always known.”
For his part, Lamar is up for another nine Grammy nominations at the 2026 awards show. At February’s ceremony, Lamar will contend in a slew of categories, including album of the year (GNX) and song and record of the year (“Luther,” with SZA). At the 2025 Grammys, the Pulitzer Prize winner took home five trophies for his searing Drake diss “Not Like Us.”
Watch Smollett’s full conversation with Cam Newton below.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is currently in the crosshairs of some members of the military and Congress after details of a September strike on alleged drug boats went wide. With President Donald Trump’s backing, SecWar Pete Hegseth appears shifty yet defiant on the orders to take out the boats, raising more questions than providing concrete answers.
At the root of the discussion is a September 2 operation near Venezuela involving alleged drug trafficking boats that was struck once, with some surviving the hit. It was reported by the Washington Post that a “kill them all” order came from Hegseth, which some consider a violation of international convention.
In a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (December 2), Hegseth spoke with confidence that the strikes will continue under his orders, but curiously wouldn’t pin the aforementioned order to his vest. In fact, Hegseth said he wasn’t present for the second strike that killed the survivors, adding that he entrusted Admiral Mitch Bradley’s leadership on the matter in a social media post on Monday (December 1).
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Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.
America is fortunate to have such men protecting us. When this @DeptofWar says we have the back of our warriors — we mean it.
During the Cabinet meeting, Hegseth clarified his position.
“I watched that first strike live. As you can imagine, at the Department of War, we got a lot of things to do, so I didn’t stick around for the hour and two hours, whatever, where all the sensitive site exploitation digitally occurs. So I moved on to my next meeting,” Hegseth said to reporters as reported by The Hill.
Hegseth claims Bradley made the kill order to take out the survivors, despite it going against the very laws in a manual first administered by the Department of Defense (now War).
Republican Party Senator Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Democratic Party Senator Jack Reed issued a joint statment last weekend stating that they will investigate the order.
According to reports, 11 people were killed in the September 2 strikes, according to the Trump administration, an operation that was widely shared on the president’s social media accounts as a show of might.
While it appears that SecWar Pete Hegseth is attempting to move beyond the controversy and forge ahead, former military members such as Sen. Mark Kelly, who has drawn the ire of Trump and other GOP members for telling military members to deny illegal orders.
Further, many see Hegseth’s words as an attempt to pin the strike on Bradley to avoid international war crime charges. Adding to this, Admiral Alvin Hosley, who is Black, announced that he was retiring in October amid tensions with Hegseth over the drug boat strike operation and will leave his post at the end of 2025.
On social media, some are looking at the maneuvers of the Department of War and Hegseth in particular. We’ve got some of those reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
Trending on Billboard Last month, it was announced that Pharrell would be awarded Shoe of the Year at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards (FNAAs) for his Virginia Adistar Jellyfish collaboration with Adidas. Now Billboard can exclusively announce that the award will be presented by none other than fellow Virginia Beach native and frequent collaborator Pusha T. […]
When 50 Cent initially announced plans to put together a documentary surrounding Diddy and his longtime foe’s history of alleged sexual abuse tied to his federal case, many figured that was the G-Unit mogul back at his typical trolling ways.
Netflix picked up the documentary, produced by 50 Cent and directed by Alex Stapleton, and a release date for Tuesday (Dec. 2) was revealed last week, cementing that 50 was in fact very serious about putting the docuseries together.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning is broken down into four episodes about an hour in length each, detailing the rise and fall of Diddy, with contributions from those who worked close to him throughout his decorated hip-hop career — as well as those who were victims of his mental, physical and sexual abuse over the years. There’s also an episode dedicated to Diddy’s involvement in the East Coast-West Coast feud, and his ties to the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.
“I’ve been committed to real storytelling for years through G-Unit Film and Television,” 50 said in a statement. “I’m grateful to everyone who came forward and trusted us with their stories, and proud to have Alexandria Stapleton as the director on the project to bring this important story to the screen.”
The Reckoning filmmakers also got their hands also got their hands on revealing footage of Combs filming his day-to-day life in the days leading up to his eventual arrest on federal charges in September 2024.
“Being a woman in the industry, and going through the #MeToo movement — watching giants in music and film go on trial, and to know what their outcomes were … When Cassie dropped her lawsuit, I just thought this could go a million different directions,” director Stapleton added. “I wondered how she had the confidence to go out there against a mogul like Sean Combs. As a filmmaker, I instantly knew it was a stress test of whether we’ve changed as a culture, as far as being able to process allegations like this in a fair way.”
Stapleton continued: “This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial. Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal. I hope [this documentary] is a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being.”
The docuseries features interviews with a pair of jurors from Combs’ federal trial, who shed light on the jury’s decision to reach a mixed verdict as well as what they saw inside the courtroom.
Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison with time served after being found guilty on a pair of federal prostitution charges, but avoided the harsher charges when the embattled mogul was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking in October.
A spokesperson for Diddy declined to comment on the specific allegations made in the series. “Many of the people featured have longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues that have been documented for years,” Juda Engelmayer said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Several of these stories have already been addressed in court filings, and others were never raised in any legal forum because they’re simply not true. The project was built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification. Sean Combs will continue to address legitimate matters through the legal process, not through a biased Netflix production.”
Here are 10 things we learned about from Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
Two Jurors From Diddy’s Federal Trial Speak Out
