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Jason Kelce is after Mariah Carey‘s crown. After discovering that his new holiday duet with Stevie Nicks outperformed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on the iTunes charts this week, the retired Eagles center joked with brother Travis Kelce on New Heights that he’s the new “Queen of Christmas.”
Toward the beginning of the podcast episode posted Wednesday (Nov. 13), the Kansas City Chiefs tight end congratulated his older sibling for having “dethroned” the Songbird Supreme with “Maybe This Christmas,” which debuts at No. 1 on the iTunes Top Christmas Songs 2024 chart and bests Carey’s bestselling holiday classic by one spot. The track — a Ron Sexsmith cover Jason recorded with the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman for The Philly Specials’ upcoming charity Christmas album — dropped Nov. 8.
“[Carey’s] song is as good as it gets when it comes to Christmas music,” Travis began. “Jason, how does it feel to officially be the Queen of Christmas?”
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“You know, I’ve fought my whole life to be the Queen of Christmas,” Jason jokingly replied. “The fact that we’re finally there is just really special.”
The Monday Night Countdown host went on to gush, “It was incredible to work with Stevie Nicks” — a process he recently shared with fans on Instagram via a behind-the-scenes video from the unlikely duo’s recording session. “I’m just still in awe that that actually happened,” he added. “This is really really cool. There is no percent chance any song that I’m in should be streaming No. 1 on any service in any genre.”
In response, Travis teasingly brought the elder Kelce back down to earth. “Well, don’t give yourself too much credit,” he said as Jason laughed. “It’s Stevie Nicks.”
Even so, “All I Want for Christmas” is indeed one of the most successful festive tunes of all time. It’s spent a collective 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranks at No. 1 atop Billboard‘s best Christmas songs list and the Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs listing.
Arriving Nov. 22, A Philly Special Christmas Party will mark the third benefit album from The Philly Specials, which is comprised of Jason and Eagles offensive tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Last year’s A Philly Special Christmas Special raised more than $3 million for charity.
This year, proceeds from the vinyl sales of A Philly Special Christmas Party will go toward the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center’s Holiday Toy Drive, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Snowflake Station and 87 and Running Foundation, as well as a few other organizations based in Philly.
Watch Jason and Travis talk about the former’s new title above.
In a new trailer for Paramount+’s new film Dear Santa, Post Malone dances with the devil — literally.
The two-minute teaser released Thursday (Nov. 7) opens with a young boy named Liam (played by Robert Timothy Smith) addressing a letter to Santa. However, as the narrator explains, he’s a “crappy speller” and accidentally writes “To: Satan” instead. Once summoned, the devil — played by a bearded Jack Black with pointy horns — promises to grant Liam three wishes.
But there’s a catch. “By the way, after you make your wishes I’m taking your soul,” Black tells his new companion. “Let me show you a few of the things I can do for you.”
One of those things, apparently, is getting Liam into the backstage area of a Post Malone concert, where the “Psycho” musician — seemingly under Black’s spell — greets the young fan like an old friend before inviting both Liam and Satan to join him on stage during the show. In addition to shots of Posty hamming it up for the crowd with the two main characters showing off their lasso dance moves, Black also introduces the little boy to gambling at a casino, making “snow angels” in a pile of cash and playing beer pong.
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Dear Santa is set to premiere on Paramount+ Nov. 25. The cast also features Keegan-Michael Key, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, P.J. Byrne, Jaden Carson Baker and Kai Cech.
The movie isn’t the first onscreen project Posty has lent his star power to, with the 10-time Grammy nominee previously appearing in Road House, Wrath of Man and Spenser Confidential. Earlier this year, he also made a cameo in Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me… Now: A Love Story.
The star’s latest film will arrive just a few months after his most recent album, F-1 Trillion, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He’s also fresh off of a video of the year win at the 2024 VMAs thanks to his part in Taylor Swift’s visual for their “Fortnight” duet, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Watch the Dear Santa trailer featuring Post Malone below.
Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey is gearing up for her annual Christmas Time tour with a new Apple Music exclusive Christmas Time Tour set list playlist featuring a mix of her holiday classics and some of the singer’s most beloved non jingle-jangle hits.
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The 20-song roster kicks off with the “Magical Christmas Mix” of “Sugar Plum Fairy,” followed by “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/ Gloria (In Excelsis Deo),” “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “Christmas Time Is in the Air Again,” “Oh Santa!” (feat. Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson) and “Sleigh Ride,” among others.
MC also slipped in a few favorites, including “Emotions,” “Hero,” “It’s Like That,” “Fantasy,” “Always Be My Baby” and “We Belong Together,” ending, of course, with Carey’s titanic holiday No. 1 standard, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
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In an accompanying essay, Carey told Apple Music that the touring show’s over-the-top atmosphere will be “festive, celebratory, joyous, happy, jolly, jovial,” though she added that there will also be some reflection in the mix as well. “There will also be poignant moments, because there’s a variety of moods in my songs and at the holidays,” she said.
And while Carey has reminded us that it’s not time yet to bust out the tinsel, the 20-date tour celebrating of the 30th anniversary of her 1994 hit album Merry Christmas will kick off on Nov. 6 in Highland, CA, with stops in Los Angeles, Atlanta, D.C. and Boston before wrapping up on Dec. 17 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Arena.
Click here to listen to Carey’s Christmas Time Set List.
Mariah Carey is definitely gearing up for the most wonderful time of the year. But, as she always cautions the Lambily, you can’t crank up Christmas when there’s still candy to be handed out and turkeys to fry. On Tuesday (Oct. 9) MC got the season started a bit early by unveiling the cover art […]
On Nov. 1, A&M/UMe is set to release the Carpenters’ Christmas Once More, a new collection featuring 16 Carpenters holiday classics, personally curated by Richard Carpenter. This newly remixed and remastered set includes fan favorites such as “Merry Christmas Darling,” featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, “Sleigh Ride” and “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays.” The album title is a play on the title of the duo’s 1973 pop smash “Yesterday Once More,” which was later used as the title of a 1985 hits collection by the duo.
The Carpenters have been associated with Christmas since 1970, the year they burst to stardom with “Close to You” (Billboard’s No. 1 Song of the Summer for 1970) and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” That holiday season, they released “Merry Christmas Darling,” a nostalgic Richard Carpenter-Frank Pooler ballad that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s annual Christmas Singles lists in 1970, 1971 and 1973.
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The song remains a classic. “Merry Christmas Darling” ranked No. 41 on Billboard’s 2023 list of the 100 best Christmas songs of all time. Melinda Newman praised the song’s “dreamy reverie” and especially Karen’s lead vocal. “Her vocal on ‘Merry Christmas Darling’ as she longs for her loved one, who is away for Christmas and New Year’s Day, is pure, sublime perfection. She conveys the perfect mix of yearning, sadness and hope since she knows, even though it’s unspoken, they will be joyfully reunited after the holidays. Over 50 years since its release, it’s still the soundtrack for any college couples separated during the holiday break.”
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“Merry Christmas Darling” was re-released in 1974 with a torchy ballad version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” on the B side. It was released again in 1977 with “Christmas Song” on the B side. Also in 1977, the Carpenters headlined their first holiday TV special for ABC, The Carpenters at Christmas. In 1978, finally, they released their first holiday album, Christmas Portrait. It coincided with the release of a second holiday special for ABC, The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait, which featured film legend Gene Kelly as a guest star.
Christmas Portrait has logged 66 weeks on the Billboard 200. Among the duo’s albums, only Close to You has logged more weeks on Billboard’s flagship albums chart (87).
Richard had a unique idea for creating a near-continuous work that would mix hymns, pop tunes, vocals and instrumentals. He did some of the orchestral arrangements himself, while others were assigned to Peter Knight and Billy May.
“With Karen’s marvelous leads,” Richard has written, “combined with an oversize studio orchestra and chorus, terrific arrangements, and timeless music, Christmas Portrait was, and is, an almost incomparable Christmas album.”
Enough material was recorded during the Christmas Portrait sessions to allow for the release of a second Carpenters holiday album, An Old-Fashioned Christmas, in 1984, the year after Karen’s untimely death at age 32. In 1990, Christmas Portrait – The Special Edition combined tracks from both Carpenters’ seasonal LPs with some additional material. Now comes Christmas Once More, which will be available in multiple formats, including CD, black vinyl, limited-edition gold vinyl, digital download, streaming and ATMOS.
There have been numerous indications in recent years of the Carpenters’ continuing audience appeal. A 1998 compilation, Love Songs, rode the Billboard 200 for 25 weeks. Carpenters songs have been featured in several hit movies, such as 2007’s The Simpsons Movie (which memorably featured “Close to You”). Both “Close to You” and “We’ve Only Just Begun” have been voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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The Carpenters got an unexpected shout-out on a global stage in March 2023. While accepting an Academy Award for best original song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, M.M. Neeravaani said, “Thank you, Academy. I grew up listening to the Carpenters, and now here I am with the Oscars.” He then proceeded to sing his acceptance remarks to the tune of the duo’s Billboard Hot 100-topping smash “Top of the World,” a move that charmed the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and the global TV viewing audience.
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Here’s the track listing for the CD edition of Christmas Once More.
1. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
2. “Happy Holiday”
3. “The Christmas Waltz”
4. “Sleigh Ride”
5. “It’s Christmas Time / Sleep Well, Little Children”
6. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
7. “Christ Is Born”
8. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
9. “Merry Christmas, Darling” (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Version)
10. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”
11. “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays”
12. “Little Altar Boy”
13. “The First Snowfall / Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
14. “My Favorite Things”
15. “White Christmas”
16. “Ave Maria”
Ariana Grande brought the cozy holiday energy in her 2014 “Santa Tell Me” music video, but turns out, the clip was originally supposed to go in a very different direction. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the latest episode of Spotify‘s Billions Club on Tuesday (Feb. 6), […]
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Over the holiday weekend, while millions of people were enjoying life and opening Christmas gifts, Rappin’ 4-Tay took to X (the social media website formerly known as Twitter). The Bay Area legend requested fans to pray for him as he deals with health issues in the hospital.
This past Saturday (December 23), the “I’ll Be Around” artist took to social media to ask fans for their love and support as he’d been admitted into a hospital. Though he didn’t specify why he was laid up, the artist wrote, “I NEED ALL MY LOYAL ONES TO SEND A PRAYERS I BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR DAYS NOW HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS 4-TAY!!!”
Though he hasn’t updated his followers on his condition or whether or not he’s still under medical supervision, Rappin’ 4-Tay did tweet out a Christmas message for everyone who’d be hoping to hear from him following his Saturday afternoon call for support.
Prayers up for 4-Tay as we’ve lost so many of our Hip-Hop artists to health-related issues over the last few years.
Just another reminder to appreciate every moment you get to spend with your loved ones while they’re still here and to always prioritize your health in any way you can. We only get one life to live, so make the most of it.
—
Photo: Getty
Lisa gifted BLINKS a holiday classic on Christmas Eve.
On Sunday (Dec. 24), the BLACKPINK superstar shared a cover of Britney Spears‘ 2000 classic “My Only Wish (This Year).”
“Christmas present for my BLINKS Have a wonderful holiday,” Lisa wrote on Instagram alongside a black-and-white image of herself with the song’s title.
In the music video for the song, the rapper and dancer receives a small ribbon-wrapped note and single rose before hopefully wandering the streets of Paris in a white fur-lined coat. The clip ends with Lisa flashing a huge smile as she accepts another rose from a mystery suitor as the evening concludes.
Spears’ “My Only Wish (This Year),” originally released on the 2000 compilation, Platinum Christmas, peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2015. The holiday banger — about having Santa deliver a lover for the holiday — also ranked No. 95 on Billboard‘s 100 Best Christmas Songs of All Time staff list.
In November, Lisa’s track “Money” became the first K-pop track by a solo artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. The song, released as the second track from her 2021 solo EP, Lalisa, marks her fourth solo achievement with Guinness World Records.
On Tuesday (Dec. 26), Lisa will take part in BLACKPINK: A VR Encore, an immersive virtual reality experience stemming from the special finale concert of the Born Pink World Tour.
“I think the fans will enjoy the playful aspects of the VR concert,” Lisa told Billboard ahead of the concert. “It’s like a new, fun experience for them. I hope they can feel the warmth and energy of our performances, even in this new format.”
The 70-minute concert will feature BLACKPINK performing Billboard Hot 100 hits such as “Shut Down,” “Pink Venom” and “How You Like That” like never before. Utilizing Meta Quest 3 headsets, the show takes place in Meta Horizon Worlds’ new Music Valley venue.
BLACKPINK: A VR Encore premieres for free, exclusively in VR on Dec. 26, at 5 p.m. PT in Meta Horizon Worlds.
Listen to Lisa’s cover of Spears’ “My Only Wish” below.
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Taylor Swift spent Christmas morning cheering on her boyfriend Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as the Chiefs took on the Las Vegas Raiders.
About an hour before kickoff on Monday (Dec. 25), the pop superstar entered the Missouri stadium alongside a person dressed in a Santa Clause costume and wished onlookers a “Merry Christmas.” She was then joined in a suite by her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, along with her brother Austin Swift and his girlfriend, Sydney Ness.
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In the spirit of the holiday, Swift donned a red Santa hat with the tight end’s jersey number — 87 — on the white trim. The “Anti-Hero” singer also rocked a festive look for the game, wearing a red sweater and black plaid skirt.
Swift wasn’t the only celebrity in attendance at the showdown, which found the Raiders defeating the Chiefs, 20-14. The game was also attended by Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, who won Collegiate Women’s athlete of the year. Brittany Mahomes and Sterling Skye Mahomes, the wife and daughter of Chiefs quarterback, were also seen at the event.
Swift and Kelce were spotted walking hand-in-hand after the game. Kansas City Star photojournalist Nick Wagner shared an image on his Instagram of the couple strolling through a hallway at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Spent my Christmas waiting for these two lovebirds,” Wagner wrote alongside the snapshot.
Last week, Mahomes opened up about what it was like for the Chiefs to witness their teammate begin a romance with one of the most famous women on the planet.
“At first, I feel like everybody kind of stayed away, let [Kelce] do what he was doing,” Mahomes said in a sit-down with CBS Mornings‘ Nate Burleson.
“Then he started bringing Taylor around and we realized how cool of a person she was,” he continued. “So for us, there was a couple jokes here and there at the beginning. But now, she’s just part of Chiefs Kingdom. She’s part of the team.”
Imagine a land where it’s never cold but Christmas celebrations, and the holiday music associated with them, last for months. Such is life in the Philippines, where Christmas songs are played from Sept. 1 through the holiday itself, generating good cheer — and royalties for rightsholders — for almost a full third of the year.
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The global pattern of Christmas music consumption is that countries with colder weather start listening to it earlier, which generally translates into more streams, according to internal data from a major label shared with Billboard. The Philippines is the giant exception.
The country, which has a population of 109 million — a bit less than a third that of the U.S. — was the sixth biggest market for holiday music for Spotify in 2021, according to the company, after the U.S., Germany, the U.K., Canada and Sweden. (This data is skewed by the popularity of Spotify itself in various markets, and it and YouTube are the dominant platforms in the Philippines.) It’s also Sony’s sixth biggest market for streaming holiday catalog music, according to that company. In general, the Philippines is the 32nd-biggest market for recorded music revenue, according to the trade organization International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
One reason for the popularity of Christmas music in the Philippines is that it’s a predominantly Roman Catholic country — the only one in Asia — because it was ruled Spain from the 16th century to the end of the 19th century. Later U.S. rule brought English and an immersion in American pop culture. One popular saying has it that the country spent “300 years in a convent, 50 years in Hollywood.”
The Christmas season traditionally starts in what Filipinos call the “ber” months — SeptemBER, OctoberBER and so on — when the weather turns a bit cooler and workers look forward to a bonus 13th month of pay.
“There’s a stereotype that we can all sing, and we have a very communal culture,” says Victoria Maria Malong, Warner Music Philippines’ marketing & audience engagement director, domestic. “So we have lots of Christmas parties, with lots of food and singing — sometimes drunken singing.”
The big Christmas hits in the Philippines are mostly the songs you would expect — there’s a lot of “lean-back listening,” driven by playlists, according to Sony. “In terms of Christmas songs, it’s mostly the same around the world,” says Enzo Valdez, managing director of UMG Philippines Inc. (Universal Music Group’s business there goes by that name, since there’s an independent label Universal Records in the country.)
There’s one major exception, in the form of Jose Mari Chan, a performer, songwriter, and businessman known as the King of Philippine Christmas Carols. Although music isn’t his main job — he also runs a sugar company owned by his family — Chan is one of the country’s iconic singers, who is known for holiday songs like “A Perfect Christmas” and especially “Christmas in Our Hearts.” His biggest Christmas album, Christmas in Our Hearts, came out on Universal Records — the local company — but is now distributed by Ingrooves, which is owned by Universal Music.
As the dominance of streaming drives Christmas recordings to the top of the charts every year in the Philippines, just as it does in the U.S., Chan has become an online harbinger of the season, albeit one that appears earlier than Mariah Carey. Memes of Chan peeking through an opening door start to appear around Sept. 1, and he has capitalized on this success. In a country where tours of malls are part of promotion and endorsements are an important revenue stream, Chan has signed a deal with Uniqlo that has him singing the chain’s Christmas jingle, and appearing at events.
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Playlist promotion works much the same as in other markets, and preparation for holiday music marketing starts in the summer. Sony Music has a Christmas music team with a core of eight to 10 executives that expands to about 30 internationally. “It’s international music and some of ours,” Malong says, “so it’s Mariah Cary and Jose Mari Chan and our challenge is to put [Warner Music Group artist] Michael Bublé into the conversation.”
Emerging local artists want to be part of that, too, and “we also have a lot of younger acts who are making new Christmas songs,” Valdez says. The duo Ben and Ben collaborated with Chan, and the young singer Juan Karlos has a new song, “Maligayang Pasko” (Merry Christmas in Tagalog, a dominant language), which came out November 10. Now, Valdez says, “Karlos plans to do a full Christmas album next year.”