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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.)
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Boza shares the story behind his hit song “París” with Sech, the creation of his “orióN” remix with Sistek and gives advice to people pursuing women who are already in relationships.
Boza: How was the collaboration with Sistek born? Well, on my team there’s someone very, very, very important, his name is Pedrito Alegría and he always kind of has… you could say, I don’t know, ideas, or he always contributes a lot to what I do. So, he was like, “Look, I have a buddy named Sistek, why don’t we do the ‘orióN’ remix, he wants to do it and everything.” And obviously we’re very, very open with all that. I’m a fan of electronic music too, so well, why not? It was born through Pedrito Alegría, that’s where we met, the collaboration happened and when I heard the song it was like, wow, something else, another vibe.
How do I see “orióN” ten years from now? “orióN” is my baby with Elena [Rose], you know? And “orióN” is a song that talks about emotional responsibility. I think it’s a song that’s going, going to endure quite a bit, you know? Since it’s not an empty song, it’s a song that has a very positive message, a message which a man can identify with, a woman can identify with. So, I think it’s not going to be one of those songs that are trendy, I think it’s a song that came to stay.
I think that the idea, I mean, no, not the idea, the experience of “París”, everyone at some point has had, as they say, that experience, it could be in “París,” it could be in other places in the world, whatever. But that song was born, I remember, in Andrés’ studio. They sent us a reference, like an intro, a chorus, obviously we loved it, and from there I added, so to speak, my point of view, my experience in “París”, in theory.
We had wanted for a while to record a song with Sech. We had already recorded some, but it hadn’t materialized, so to speak, right? Until now, we took advantage that there were other awards in Panama, and we were, so to speak, the host and all that, so, the attention was full, full on Panama. And it was like the best moment to do it together, you know? I’ve always said that God’s timing is perfect. We sent that song to Sech and he loved it and, so to speak, added his, his vibe, his flow there, and well, from there on, you know? What has happened has been very telling itself. The public had been waiting for it for a while and loved the song.
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WHAM!’s “Last Christmas,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and more classic holiday hits re-enter the top 10 of the Hot 100. Billboard chart experts explain how they feel about the classics making a comeback and what that means for the top 10. They also dive into “The Fate of Ophelia” breaking Taylor Swift’s personal record, Olivia Dean’s phenomenon, and RIIZE stopping by the studio to share how they worked on their latest album, ‘FAME,’ their thoughts on ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ and more!
RIIZE: Hi, Billboard. We are RIIZE! And you’re watching the Hot 100 Show.
Tetris Kelly: Happy holidays and welcome back to the Hot 100 Show. Our boys, Rise, are in the building today. Can’t wait to have them on set to talk about the new music. But, hey, Christmas is back in a big way, so let’s jump into the top 10. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated December 6th. “Opalite” falls down to No. 10, as Leon slips to nine. “Jingle Bell Rock” appears at No. 8. All right, there we have numbers 10 through eight, with a little surprising drop from Taylor Swift and a new incoming Christmas classic. How are we feeling about the top 10 so far?
Delisa Shannon: I love that it’s shaken up, y’all. I love to see it, personally. I see “Opalite” holding on real strong, which we knew. The fans love it, so, like, I’m really not surprised to see that one holding on. I saw Leon Thomas at Brooklyn Paramount last week.
Trevor Anderson: Oh, you were at the folk show? Was it the-
Delisa Shannon: For the folks, yeah.
Tetris Kelly: Nice, how was that?
Delisa Shannon: It was incredible. And it was so loud when “Mutt” was playing, so that’s exactly why “Mutt” is still on the top 10. Exactly why, but also, everyone was screaming every other song of Leon Thomas. So that was really impressive to me. You know, typically when you go to a show, when a song like this is on the charts, you see everyone pull out their phones for the one big song that everybody knows. That was not the case. That show was rocking, standing room only, like, elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder. So as we have discussed time and time again about Leon Thomas and his importance with R&B, I think getting to see it live was so, so, so incredibly cool.
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Trending on Billboard This is partner content. Not sure what to get a music lover this Christmas? If you’re looking for the best gifts for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ watchers, BTS fans and hip-hop lovers keep watching to see what you can get them! Tetris Kelly: What’s underneath the tree for music lovers this Christmas season? […]
Trending on Billboard Ovy on the Drums shares the story behind his hit “La Plena,” the production of “Papasito” with Karol G, and his unique connection with Beéle, whom he has known since he was 15 years old. Ovy on the Drums: Well, the truth is that, well, thank you so much for the nomination. […]
Trending on Billboard This is partner content. The holiday season is here, and Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey announces her Christmastime residency in Las Vegas for this year. Pentatonix is set to spread holiday cheer with their “Christmas in the City” tour, we’re breaking down why Brenda Lee & Mariah Carey go head to head […]
No matter how quick the wit, no stand-up comic starts out a success. Forget the top: on the way to the bottom rung, comics need to endure endless open-mic tryouts, log thousands of miles for little or no money and be thankful for 1:00 a.m. slots in front of drunken hecklers. And that’s just for starters. The further up the ladder they climb, the more pressure they face to consistently write and hone hour-plus sets that will power tours, specials and social media. Increasingly, they also choose to engage in a weekly form of digital improv known as the podcast.
As the first quarter of the 21st century comes to an end, Billboard set out to determine the best of that A-list: the top 25 stand-up comics of the last 25 years. To come up with these rankings, we polled experts that work with comics on a daily basis: bookers with a long histories of breaking comic talent.
The panel consists of William Burdett-Coutts, who heads the Assembly venues at the Edinburgh Fringe festival; Michael Cox, stand-up booker for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; Adam Eget, manager at Joe Rogan’s Comedy Mothership in Austin, Tx, and before that, the Comedy Store in Los Angeles; Bruce Hills, who, for 36 years booked and eventually ran Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival; Caroline Hirsch, the founder of Caroline’s Comedy Club and co-founder of the New York Comedy Festival; Chris and Steve Mazzilli, owners of the Gotham Comedy Club in Manhattan; Patrick Milligan, the booker and proprietor of The Stand NYC comedy club; Susan Provan, director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival; and Samantha Schles, director of comedy at the SXSW Festival. (Billboard‘s parent company, PMC, owns a 50% stake in SXSW.)
Thanks to all our panelists for taking time out of their hectic schedules to participate. (And special thanks to Hill, who provided valuable advice on voting parameters, helped create a well-rounded and authoritative judges panel and generously provided means to contact them.)
The process began with our panel helping put together a ballot of more than 150 nominees. The talent pool was limited to comedians with active stand-up careers over the last 25 years — as opposed to sketch, sitcom, film or improvisational performers, such as the cast of Saturday Night Live, Second City or Upright Citizens Brigade. Overseas comedians with a presence in the United States were also considered.
From there, the judges each ranked their top 25 comics. Voting was anonymous, and a weighted system was used to determine the top 25. As a number of judges remarked when returning their ballots, winnowing such a large batch of nominees was extremely difficult. There are a lot of exceptional stand-up comics out there.
For the next week, Billboard will present the results of the voting — the top 25 stand-up comedians of the last 25 years — in ascending order, five at a time, with the complete list unveiled on Friday (Dec. 6). Nos. 25 through 21 follow below.
25. Jon Stewart
Trending on Billboard Christmas is in full swing on the Hot 100 with Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” Brenda Lee and more entering the top 10, but will any of these Christmas classics sweep the No. 1 spot? Tetris Kelly: This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week, dated December 6th. “Opalite” falls down […]
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Billboard News went straight to the rides with some of the coolest artists at Camp Flog Gnaw 2025. Hang out with Malcolm Todd, Paris Texas, AG Club, Alemeda, PARTYOF2 and Deb Never as they joined us on the ultimate CFG adventure. Get a taste of those limited-edition burgers, watch the gravity-defying rides, and check out the best festival fashion. Which ride was the wildest? Watch to find out!
Jerah Milligan:
Who are you excited to see?
Alemeda:
I literally told my team, “Once Geezer goes on, I’m out.”
Partyof2:
Definitely Doechii, and I gotta see my fashion icon, bro, A$AP Rocky.
AGClub:
Childish Gambino for me. I’m so used to seeing him, but I never seen him live. I loved his music for a long time, like. I’m tryna see T-Pain.
Jerah Milligan:
Yo, I’m ready for both. And you know he has so much joy when he performs. He’s about to be spinning and s–t.
Partyof2:
After this interview I’m gonna run and see Teezo. I saw him walking out of his trailer with a like a BBL thing goin’ on with a, with a surge, like, I don’t know what he’s about to do. I’m so interested to see that.
Jerah Milligan:
What’s up, folks? It’s your boy Jerah here. I’m at Camp Flog Gnaw. I’m hype. It’s my first time being here. We’re talking to artists, your favorite artists’ favorite artists. We’re going on rides. We getting snacks. I’mma win this bear right now and I’m super hype. Let’s go. Yeah, y’all got me out here at Camp Flog Gnaw. Y’all had a good year, two albums a week apart. What was the idea behind that?
Paris Texas:
Uh, you know, just moving different.That’s it, is just moving different, that’s all we wanna do.
Jerah Milligan:
Now let me ask y’all though, that’s two albums. That’s a lot of songs. Y’all got, like, your favorite child on one of the albums?
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Trending on Billboard On the red carpet of the CMA Awards 2025, we caught up with Brett Young, Cooper Alan and many more to debate when they put up their Christmas decorations and whether there is such a thing as “too early.” Rania Aniftos: This is very controversial, so answer carefully: Do you decorate for […]
