holidays
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It’s a very Kelce Christmas! Jason Kelce has recruited his brother, Travis Kelce, to take part in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ upcoming holiday album, A Philly Special Christmas Special, and the brotherly duet is set to arrive on Wednesday (Nov. 15). The album’s official Instagram page posted a teaser clip of the song, “Fairytale of Philadelphia,” to Instagram on Tuesday […]
‘Tis the season to buy a gift for your favorite Swiftie, and Taylor Swift has you covered. The superstar unveiled her new holiday merch via the official Taylor Nation account on X on Monday (Nov. 13). “We close our eyes and we’re somewhere else… at Christmas time, cozying up with our brand new Holiday merch,” […]
iHeartMedia is getting in the festive mood with the return of the iHeartRadio Holiday Special, which will take over AC and Classic Hits stations nationwide and the iHeartRadio app on Nov. 22.
Hosted by Mario Lopez, the two-hour special event will feature interviews with Cher, Elton John, Train, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Meghan Trainor, Rob Thomas, and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic discussing their favorite holiday songs and traditions.
The announcement comes Friday (Nov. 10), which marks iHeartRadio’s annual flip to holiday music on more than 85 stations across the country.
“Listeners look forward to that special day when we convert so many of our stations to Christmas music because it means that the holiday season has really started,” said Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, in a press statement. “To celebrate we are bringing back the iHeartRadio Holiday Special with Cher, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Elton John, Meghan Trainor, Rob Thomas, Ryan Tedder and Train who will be sharing their personal holiday memories.”
It’s no surprise that Cher will make an iconic appearance during the special, as she’s fresh off the release of her first holiday album, Christmas, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Holiday Albums chart last month. Produced by her longtime producer Mark Taylor, the set includes the legend’s interpretations of “Santa Baby,” “Run Rudolph Run” and “Please Come Home For Christmas.”
Cher recently told Billboard that she “had no intention of doing a Christmas album. But [Warner Records] said, ‘Why don’t you do a Christmas album, Cher?’ and I said if I can do my version I’ll do it, and they were very pleasant.”
Elton John is celebrating 50 years of his jingly single “Step Into Christmas,” which so far peaked at No. 84 on Billboard‘s Holiday 100 chart in 2017.
Listeners can hear holiday music across the iHeartRadio app on stations including iHeartChristmas, playing all the holiday favorites; North Pole Radio, hosted by Santa Claus and featuring a message line where kids can leave Christmas wishes for the big man himself; iHeartChristmas Classics, the place to hear all the timeless holiday classics; or holiday channels playing all kinds of music, including iHeartCountry Christmas, iHeartChristmas Jazz, iHeartChristmas R&B, iHeartChristmas Rock, Holiday Season Radio and more. Search “iHeart Holiday” in the app to find all the Christmas music options.
It may only be March, but Jimmy Fallon is already in the holiday spirit.
The late night host sat down with E! News this week, where he revealed that he has a festive-themed album on the way this year. “I’ve been working on one for a couple of years. It’s silly, there’s comedy songs, there’s traditional songs on there, there’s a couple of duets. It should be a good mix,” he explained.
Watch the video here.
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Fallon is no stranger to getting in the Christmas spirit, and has often performed holiday songs on The Tonight Show with his famous friends. Back in 2021, he released a pandemic-era holiday song “It Was A… (Masked Christmas)” alongside pop powerhouses Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion.
“I didn’t want to do a Mariah Carey, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ type of song, which is what everybody tries to do,” Fallon told Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast of the track. “I’m like, ‘Guys, she’s done it. She’s done it well. She nailed it. You can move away. No one’s going to top that song. She’s the queen. Let her have it. Think of a new idea.’”
Last year, Fallon teamed up with Dolly Parton for “Almost Too Early for Christmas,” a duet that ponders when is truly the right time to get into the holiday spirit.
Twelve days after Christmas comes Dia de los Reyes — or Three Kings Day (also known as Epiphany) — during which many Latino communities around the world gather with family to celebrate the arrival of the three kings, or magi (Wise Men).
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Los Tres Reyes is believed to have brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Bethlehem to honor the baby Jesus. Some families in Mexico and South America eat Rosca — candied bread fit for a king. Other families in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations build on the parranda, an Afro-Indigenous tradition that calls for the house-to-house “caroling” of friends and families.
In honor of Three Kings Day 2023, Billboard has compiled a playlist of some traditional classics you and yours can use to set the festive mood.
The playlist includes the timeless holiday track “Cantares de Navidad” by the Puerto Rican group Trio Vegabajeño, which was originally composed in the early 1950s and forms part of Bad Bunny’s album El Último Tour del Mundo. There’s also the heartfelt bolero “Regalo de Reyes” by the late Mexican singer and actor Javier Solís; Luis Miguel’s rendition of “Noche de Paz,” part of his Navidades Luis Miguel album; “Caspar, Melchor, y Baltasar” by Mexican trio Pandora; and Thalía’s gitty “Los Reyes Magos,” part of her children’s album Viva Kids – Volumen 2, to name a few.
Many Villancicos (similar to a Christmas carol) are also on the playlist, such as “Vamos, Vamos Pastorcito” and the all-time favorite “Mi Burrito Sabanero.” The latter has both a merengue version by Elvis Crespo and a catchy banda tune by Banda El Recodo.
Listen to the full playlist below, and enjoy!
The presents have been opened and wallets closed, as the 2022 holidays have concluded. But which holiday songs made the biggest gains over the latest holiday season?
Here’s a look at the seasonal songs that logged the 10 top increases in on-demand audio and video streaming over the 2022 holidays as compared to 2021, according to Luminate, among the 50 most-streamed songs, on-demand, this holiday season.
Overall, streaming of holiday songs surged 12.1% over the latest holidays (Nov. 18-Dec. 29, 2022, correlating to the tracking period of Billboard‘s Holiday 100 songs chart dated from Dec. 3 through Jan. 7), as compared to the corresponding period the year before (Nov. 19-Dec. 30, 2021), per the top 500 holiday titles in each of the last two holiday seasons. (For this research, UGC [user-generated content] was included, although it does not contribute to Billboard‘s charts.)
Below is a recap of the 10 top-gaining seasonal songs year-over-year during the latest holidays — and their newest chart highlights.
The Top-Gaining Songs of the 2022 Holiday Season
“Here Comes Santa Claus,” Gene Autry
70.5 million on-demand audio and video U.S. streams Nov. 18-Dec. 29, 2022, up 53.5% from Nov. 19-Dec. 30, 2021
The song galloped to a No. 25 high on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Dec. 31, besting its prior No. 28 peak reached three years earlier. Originally released in 1947, it hit the top 10 on Billboard pop and country charts annually through the end of the ’40s.
“Blue Christmas,” Elvis Presley
77.2 million, up 48.8%
The King’s festive favorite logs a new No. 24 best on the Jan. 7 Hot 100. Up from No. 27, it marks his first appearance in the top 25 in exactly 44 years, since “My Way” held at its No. 22 peak on the Jan. 7, 1978, survey.
“Deck the Halls,” Nat King Cole
86.4 million, up 41.1%
The track made a jolly jaunt to a new No. 16 high on the Dec. 31 Hot 100. As previously reported, Cole achieves his first top 10 since 1963 with “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You),” which gained by 5% to 95.4 million on-demand streams this holiday season vs. the same period the year before.
“This Christmas,” Donny Hathaway
53.4 million, up 39.1%
The song rises to a new No. 37 highpoint on the Jan. 7 Hot 100. It’s his top-ranking entry since “The Closer I Get to You” – one of his six charted duets with Roberta Flack – a No. 2 hit in 1978.
“Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” Trans-Siberian Orchestra
36 million, up 37.8%
The instrumental rock reimagination of “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells” reached No. 35 on the Holiday 100 in December, its best rank on the chart in over two years.
“Merry Christmas,” Ed Sheeran & Elton John
41.4 million, up 37.4%
The cheery song by the British superstars fared far better in its second year. On the Hot 100, it climbed to No. 42, after it hit No. 55 in its first year of release. If its momentum continues, it could swell John’s total of top 40 hits beyond his current sum of 59, while Sheeran boasts 23 top 40 entries.
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” Dean Martin
60.5 million, up 31.7%
After first making notable inroads in streaming in the mid-2010s, the classic has hit the top 20 on the Streaming Songs chart each holiday season since 2018, reaching a No. 5 best in December 2020.
“Jingle Bells,” Frank Sinatra
81.3 million, up 31.3%
The recording ascends to No. 20 on the Jan. 7-dated Hot 100, marking a milestone for the late legend: he ranks in the top 20 for the first time since June 3, 1967, when “Somethin’ Stupid,” with daughter Nancy, placed at No. 16 following four weeks at No. 1.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas,” Band Aid
40.1 million, up 29.7%
The all-star anthem hit No. 34 on the Dec. 3 Holiday 100, its best rank since 2018. Helping its profile, LadBaby’s update, “Food Aid” (also a charity single) topped the Dec. 31 Official UK Singles chart. With the coronation, the husband-and-wife duo of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle became the first act with five Christmas UK No. 1s, surpassing The Beatles’ four in 1963-65 and 1967.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey
262.3 million, up 29.6%
Rounding out the top 10-gaining holiday hits over the most recent Yuletide season, Carey’s 1994 modern classic made more Hot 100 history, upping its total to 12 weeks at No. 1, including four in a row, its most time on top in any holiday period. Its 262.3 million on-demand streams over the 2022 holidays led all songs, followed by runner-up Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (202.8 million).
In highlights just outside the seasonal songs with the 10 biggest increases over the latest holidays, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” gained by 29.1% to 150.7 million on-demand streams, as it hits a new No. 4 best on the Jan. 7 Hot 100; Sia’s “Snowman,” from 2017, surged by 26% to 39.7 million streams; and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me,” from 2014, jumped by 18.9% to 115.3 million streams.
Meanwhile, three songs released this holiday season made the top 50 in 2022 holiday on-demand streams, with all three Amazon Original exclusives and covers of classics: Lizzo’s “Someday at Christmas” (44.4 million), Lauren Spencer-Smith’s “Last Christmas” (37.6 million) and Kane Brown’s “Blue Christmas” (36.8 million).
A Christmas miracle. Meek Mill posted the bail of multiple women last week so they could spend the holiday with their families.
According to an Instagram post by his nonprofit REFORM Alliance, the 20 women were incarcerated at Philadelphia’s Riverside Correctional Facility. “The women, who were unable to afford bail, will now be able to spend the holiday season with their families and loved ones,” read the caption. “Five women were released today and will be reunited with their families, with the goal of 15 more women being released in the coming week. The women will also each receive a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays.”
“For families impacted by the criminal justice system, the holidays can be an extremely challenging time,” said the rapper in a statement. “No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”
Posting bail isn’t the only good deed Mill performed during this holiday season. Earlier in December, he visited the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice facility to spend time with kids whose families are ensnared in the criminal justice system, tossing a football around to the cheers of the assembled children.
The Philly native’s split from Roc Nation Management was also addressed by his pal — and REFORM co-founder — Jay-Z this summer in his four-minute verse on DJ Khaled’s star-studded single “God Did,” in which Hov insisted “Me and Meek could never beef.”
Check out Mill’s act of Christmas kindness below.
In 2023, Jennifer Lopez‘s new era will take flight with the release of her new album, This Is Me … Now. And in her latest newsletter, the 53-year-old singer-actress opened up about one of the songs she wrote for the set, and revealed how it inspired her and husband Ben Affleck’s blended-family Christmas celebrations.
“I wrote a song called ‘Hummingbird’ for my new album. To me, hummingbirds are messengers of love,” Lopez explained in her On The JLo newsletter. “They’re very agile — can fly forward, backward, and up and down. They’re also the fastest bird but they always have time to stop, eat something sweet and smell the roses.”
“I identify with them, but more than anything, whenever I see one, I feel like it’s a sign from God that everything is going to be OK,” she added.
The Marry Me star, who said she’d spent recent weeks “hunkering down at home” after wrapping up her newest movie Atlas, went on to say that she likes to create a different theme for each holiday she celebrates.
“I decided this year that the hummingbird would be a perfect theme,” she continued. “I wanted to have a tree in the house that was a hummingbird tree, reminding us that everything done in love and with love will always be OK.”
“We have blended families, doubled the people, doubled the fun, doubled the love, doubled the presents and tripled the chaos!!” added Lopez, whose household includes Affleck (whom she married in July), his three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner — 17-year-old Violet, 13-year-old Seraphina and 10-year-old Samuel — and Lopez’s two children with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 14-year-old twins Max and Emme.
One of the ways the “Let’s Get Loud” singer and the Oscar winner celebrated the holidays this year was by hosting a star-studded Christmas party in L.A., at which Lopez wore a Gucci dress with green and gold “hummingbird” colors, she pointed out in her newsletter.
This Is Me … Now is expected next year, though its exact release date has not yet been revealed. Lopez first announced the album — a follow-up to her 2002 record This Is Me … Then — in a late November Instagram post. She also at that time unveiled the tracklist, which lists “Hummingbird” at No. 8.
See the album announcement below:
Ariana Grande made certain that kids facing injuries or illnesses during Christmas this year still felt merry and bright. On Monday (Dec. 26), it was revealed that the 29-year-old pop star had sent presents to young patients at hospitals across Manchester, England, giving back to the city more than five years after it became the site of a horrific suicide bombing after one of her concerts.
“Thank you Ariana!” tweeted the official Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity account. “We were so excited to receive Christmas gifts for young patients across our hospitals from Ariana Grande.”
The foundation also shared photos of some of the gifts sent by Ariana Claus, each of them labeled with a tag reading “happy holidays! love ariana grande.” The presents were divided among “babies, children and teenagers” across Trafford Hospitals, Wythenshawe Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and the RMCH.
At the time of publication, Grande has not posted about her donation on social media. Billboard has reached out to her rep for comment.
The Wicked star’s Christmas surprise is just the latest way she’s honored the English city since the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people and injured several hundred. The incident — later identified as a terrorist attack — took place as people were leaving the venue after Grande’s concert that night.
A couple weeks afterward, Grande and some of her famous friends organized One Love Manchester, a benefit concert for victims of the attack. In the years following, she’s gotten a tattoo of a bee (Manchester’s historic symbol) in remembrance, and released “Get Well Soon,” a song about her anxiety and PTSD struggles resulting from the bombing, with 40 seconds of silence added to the end of it, making its timestamp 5:22 — the date of the May 22 attack.
She’s also publicly spoken and posted on social media in honor of the victims several times over the years. “Manchester, my heart is with you today and always,” she wrote in a message on Instagram last year on the tragedy’s four-year anniversary.
“Although grief is ever-present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round,” she also wrote. “I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one. Please know that I am thinking of you today.”
It’s the season of giving, and BTS‘ V is gifting ARMY with his cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
His take on the seasonal classic arrived on Friday (Dec. 23). In the accompanying video shared on YouTube, the singer croons deeply into a microphone while casually dressed in an oversized hoodie.
Midway through the song, he pulls up the hood to cover his head and enthusiastically sings, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” emphasizing his words with small pumps of his fists. “Soon the bells will start/ And the thing that’ll make ’em ring is the carol that you sing/ Right within your heart.” When he finishes that verse, he picks up his adorable pup and snuggles him close before the pooch gives V a few sweet licks on his nose.
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” has been covered by numerous artists. The 1951 version by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayers and His Orchestra became a hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020. Another beloved take is Bing Crosby’s take from the same year is another popular cover.
Last Christmas, V also offered up a holiday tune — solo single “Christmas Tree.” The cover earned him his first solo No. 1 on a Billboard chart, landing him atop the Emerging Artists chart dated Jan. 8. The song also debuted at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his first solo entry on the all-genre tally. As for the Holiday 100 chart, it launched at No. 55.
Watch V’s cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” above.