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With a career spanning over four decades, Abdul Majeed Abdullah has become a cornerstone of Arabic music, and his influence shows no signs of fading. Revered as “The Prince of Tarab,” Abdullah continues to captivate audiences with his unparalleled artistry, bridging generations and defining the sound of Khaleeji music while shaping the broader Arabic music landscape.
For Abdullah, 2024 was yet another landmark year, as the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, honored the iconic artist with multiple awards. At this groundbreaking event — a milestone for the region that took place at King Fahad Cultural Center on Dec. 11 — he received artist of the year in the Khaleeji dialect genre and top male artist in the Khaleeji dialect, alongside a prestigious lifetime achievement award, which recognized his profound and lasting impact on the Arab music world and on Khaleeji music in particular.
The ceremony celebrated the rich diversity of Arabic music, showcasing a wide array of subgenres, including the winners from Billboard Arabia’s various dialect charts: Khaleeji, Egyptian, Moroccan and Levantine. The awards also highlighted distinctive local cultural genres such as Mahraganat, a progressive and energetic contemporary iteration of Egyptian shaabi (popular folk) music, and Shelat, an evolving genre that has transformed from a poetic tribal chant to drive a new wave of Khaleeji music. In addition, the event spotlighted the dynamic rise of Arabic hip-hop and Arabic indie sounds, where global musical influences merge seamlessly with Arabic lyricism, creating a vibrant fusion of styles that reflects the evolving regional landscape. Sherine Abdel Wahab, recognized as a Global Force honoree at Billboard’s Women in Music event in March, was named artist of the year at the Billboard Arabia Music Awards.
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Since the launch of the Billboard Arabia charts in December 2023, Abdullah has consistently appeared on both the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 and Billboard Arabia Artist 100 charts. His track “Ya Ibn Al Awadam” from the 2021 album Aam Mouazy marked his debut on the charts, where it remained for nine weeks. Later in the year, he returned to the charts with songs from his latest album, including “Haki Wajid” and “Ya Meniti,” and with his pre-album single, “Lak Saqni Al Rab.” Throughout 2024, his presence on the Artist 100 chart was particularly remarkable: He only missed one week on the list, underscoring his enduring popularity and influence, and cementing him as the artist for Billboard Arabia to spotlight for this year’s Global No. 1s series.
With the launch of Billboard Arabia’s subgenre charts in August, which featured various musical genres and dialects, Abdullah quickly emerged as the dominant force in the Khaleeji category. He made an impressive debut, securing 11 songs on the Top 50 Khaleeji dialect chart in its first week. His record peaked at 12 songs in a single week, and throughout the year, the number of his songs on the list never dropped below seven — remarkable consistency and dominance that earned him the artist of the year - Khaleeji dialect award in 2024.
It’s noteworthy that Abdullah’s songs featured on Billboard Arabia’s Top 50 Khaleeji chart span four different decades. His track “Sahit Jamra,” from the 1990s, made an appearance, as well as “Insan Akthar” from the early 2000s. Additionally, his song “Ruh Al-Ruh” from the 2010s, along with multiple tracks from his album A Parallel World and his latest release, reflect his continued relevance and influence in the current decade. Meanwhile, Abdullah’s recognition with the inaugural lifetime achievement award honored his extraordinary career and lasting impact on the Khaleeji and Arabic music landscape. Over the past four decades, he has remained influential, continuously releasing music and performing to sold-out audiences. His most recent album, Abdul Majeed Abdullah 2024, further cemented his legacy, achieving widespread popularity and showcasing his ability to innovate within his genre. The honor celebrated Abdullah not only for his artistic excellence but also for his profound and enduring influence on the cultural consciousness of the Arab world.
To borrow a query from a Jagged Edge hit: where the party at? If you’re D-Nice, it will be at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. That’s where he’s hosting his “Deck the Hall” holiday extravaganza — featuring D-Nice & Friends — on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31). For this particular blowout, the classic R&B/soul, hip-hop and pop hitmakers joining him to usher out 2024 and welcome in 2025 will include: Next, Big Daddy Kane, Case, Estelle, Jon B., Tweet, Lady London, Mike Philips, Nice & Smooth and Johnny Gill.
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Explaining how the upcoming show came together, D-Nice (Derrick Jones) tells Billboard, “Sometimes the curation is extremely random. Like whatever the flow is like while I play a set, I’ll think, ‘Oh, this could be so good for a show.’ Like for instance, Johnny Gill. I can’t believe he agreed to do my show, but I’ve played his music so much during my sets. When I reached out and told him what the concept was, he just jumped right on it. The same thing with Big Daddy Kane. And I’ve never worked with Case before. We’ve been trying to figure it out and finally did for New Year’s Eve. So I’m really excited about the show.”
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But the partying doesn’t stop there. D-Nice will be setting up his first 2025 Club Quarantine Live session at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 11. That soiree’s special guests include Grammy Award winners Anthony Hamilton, Arrested Development and Big Daddy Kane, current Grammy nominee Rapsody, Tank, Goapele, Rakim and Tweet. Produced by BrandNice and co-presented by BrandNice and the Kennedy Center, the black-tie event will be hosted by multi-media personality Kenny Burns.
“I use the word excited a lot because I really feel like wow, I can’t believe this is happening,” says D-Nice, who’s also a member of the Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council. “I curate all the shows myself for the flow that I want. And to be able to bring all of these different types of people and genres together keeps me extremely excited about what I’m doing.”
A self-confessed fan boy — “I just love the music and the culture” — D-Nice also spoke to Billboard about his most memorable moment from his popular Club Quarantine, launched on Instagram during the Covid-19 pandemic, the hoped-for guest artists still on his wish list and where his love of photography is taking him in 2025.
What was your most memorable moment during Club Quarantine? And also talk about how you’ve been evolving the brand since then.
The big night, March 21, 2020, will always be memorable for me. But it’s not about the amount of people that were there, the millions that were listening. I was always in the usual position of being the DJ that’s performing at someone else’s event. Like I DJ’d for Rihanna, President Obama and others before. But for me to have this virtual party, and for all of them to actually come to a virtual party that I was throwing? It was extremely special because it wasn’t them hiring me for something. It was something that I was doing. They all jumped on to support and show love to people. That moment was not only good for music, but it was also good for people’s morale. We knew we were all in this together; that we all had to be locked down together. But to see some of your favorite people and actually just say hello? Some got a response; they obviously couldn’t respond to everyone. But the feeling we all had at that time will always be the highlight for me.
As far as the evolution of the brand, there’s nothing really tangible about this. It’s a feeling. The way I play is about the music. It’s about communities, about happiness and having some fun, laughing … it’s all of those things. The fact that we can still do these shows live, that’s really what I’m recreating. All I’m doing is using the formula that I was rocking online, playing a little bit of everything. So to be able to put a show together where you can have everyone from Nice & Smooth to Lady London, who’s a new artist out right now. Or go to the Kennedy Center with Rapsody and Rakim. To be able to bridge the gap between all of these eras of music is just incredible. That’s the spirit of it all.
What artists are still on your wish list?
I’m a big fan of both Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. If I could get them on one of my shows, that would mean everything to me.
As an ardent music fan, what musical trends do you see on the horizon; are there Afrobeats-curated events on your to-do list?
I received a call last week to do a few shows in Africa. I’ve always played Afrobeats and Afrobeat. I love Fela [Kuti] but also Burna Boy and that vibe. I love South African soulful house vibes, amapiano … all of that. In terms of trends, it’s just good to see that people aren’t sticking to just one thing. Create something and it will find an audience. Look at what’s happening with Tyla and her music. Then on the flip side, there’s Chris Brown selling out two nights in Africa. It’s beautiful to see how global our culture is.
Might a book about your DJ experiences be in the offing?
I’m working now on a photography book of images taken during the journey that I’ve been on and also a photo exhibition that I’m already putting together, a kind of touring exhibition that will be starting around June 2025. It’s all these images that I’ve shot from behind the scenes. I’ve had a camera with me ever since I was super young and making records. I wanted something tangible to show my family and my future kids, so I decided I was always going to have a camera. And I’ve literally gotten these great moments like of a young Kendrick [Lamar], of Mary J. Blige in South Africa and candid moments of her praying. Or Dave Chappelle when he returned to the scene with shows at Radio City Music Hall. I captured a beautiful silhouette of him with his signature cigarette. And I have other moments like when Tyra Banks asked me to document her throughout one day. So I want to spotlight these great images and not just the music.
What advice do you have for aspiring DJs?
Everyone has their own thing, so I think it’s extremely important to be unique. EDM DJs mainly play their own music, their own records. But when you think about someone who is actually playing someone else’s pre-recorded music, we all have the same songs. So it’s about the way you play it and the energy that you bring. What’s carried me a long way in my career is that it’s not just about the music. Sometimes you can walk into a room and see an artist, a DJ or a performer and you instantly feel comfortable because you know what that person represents. You know what that person’s energy is. I always try to tell people, especially young people, to not only just focus on the music but focus on your personality. Focus on what you’re feeling from people; focus on your showmanship.
Hailey Bieber is rocking a new ring that pays tribute to her son with husband Justin Bieber. According to US Magazine, Hailey posted a pic of her new baby bling in an Instagram Story on Saturday, revealing an image of a square-shaped lime green peridot diamond nestled next to a teardrop-shaped topaz stone on a […]
Spice Girls member Emma “Baby Spice” Bunton has unwrapped a beautiful Christmas present for fans around the world. Over the weekend, the singer debuted a new take on the group’s 1996 holiday ballad, “2 Become 1,” in which she transforms the slinky R&B original into a dramatic Technicolor ballad complete with sweeping strings.
The revamp featuring only Bunton’s vocals, finds her backed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, which adds an extra layer of yuletide cheer to her airy, dreamy vocals. “I need some love like I’ve never needed love before/ I had a little love, now I’m back for more/Set your spirit free/ It’s the only way to be,” Bunton sings on a warm, Olivia Newton-John-like voice on the refrain.
The video finds Bunton swooning over the Orchestra’s majestic backing, with the singer performing in the midst of the string section in a holiday-appropriate red, off-the-shoulder mini dress. On Instagram, Bunton wrote about her joy in re-imagining the beloved Spice Girls standard.
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“Earlier this year, I had the amazing opportunity to record one of my favourite Spice Girls singles, ‘2 Become 1,’ with the incredible @budapestscoring Orchestra!,” she said. “Hearing the song brought to life by such a talented orchestra gave me goosebumps — it was such a magical experience.”
In a second post with behind-the-scenes video of the shoot, Bunton added, “Spending time with and watching the @budapestscoring Orchestra perform ‘2 Become 1’ was a magical experience ✨ I literally had goosebumps the whole day! Thanks to everyone there for making it so special.”
Bunton released her fourth solo album, My Happy Place, in 2019, the same year she released the holiday single “Coming Home for Christmas,” which included her cover of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby.” My Happy Place also featured a duet on “2 Become 1” with Robbie Williams.
Watch Bunton in the new “2 Become 1” video below.
Christmas can be both the most wonderful, and the most chaotic time of year. What with all the rushing around and the baking and the wrapping and the delayed holiday travel. Kim Kardashian hints at the sometimes overwhelming holiday hubbub experience in a new video for her cover of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby.” Explore See […]
Dom Dolla has once again proven why he’s one of the hottest names in EDM, wrapping up a record-breaking Australian tour that saw over 170,000 tickets sold across four cities.
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The achievement makes it the largest-ever tour by an Australian electronic artist, with every show selling out almost instantly—a feat that proves his place as a trailblazer in the live music scene.
The tour spanned iconic venues and greenfield sites, with performances at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse, Sydney’s Domain, Brisbane’s Riverstage, and Perth’s Wellington Square, and fans witnessed a four-hour back-to-back set with Solomun as part of Untitled Group’s 10-year anniversary celebration.
“Today was the last show on this tour,” Dom told the 9,000 strong audience towards the end of his set in Queensland, as per The Music Network. “This tour has changed my life.”
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“It’s been an incredible journey working with Dom over the past 10+ years, and this tour is the culmination of all the hard work, passion, and dedication we’ve put into building something special together,” Nicholas Greco, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Untitled Group, shared. “Watching Dom connect with fans on such a massive scale, and seeing his music resonate with so many people across the country, is an experience I’ll never forget. This tour was a record-breaking moment not just for Dom, but for the entire Australian electronic scene.”
This monumental tour follows a remarkable year for Dom, who recently added an ARIA Award for Best Dance/Electronic Release for his infectious track, “Saving Up,” which peaked at No. 25 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.
The Melbourne star’s success isn’t confined to Australia. His momentum shows no signs of slowing down as he gears up for a packed 2025 schedule, starting with a headlining slot at the Palm Tree Music Festival in Aspen, CO, on Feb. 21, followed by the official afterparty later that night.
The Aussie DJ will then take the stage at Madison Square Garden in New York for two highly anticipated shows on March 7 and 8. These performances sees him join the ranks of John Summit, Black Coffee, and the trio of Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred Again.., who have all transformed the iconic venue into major rave experiences.
It’s the season of giving, and the ARIA Charts are delivering plenty of musical cheer. Taylor Swift and Rosé are unwrapping some major milestones just in time for the holidays.
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Swift continues her record-breaking year at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart, while Rosé holds strong at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, with Christmas classics also shaking up the scene. Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is unstoppable, spending its eighth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Albums Chart. It marks 18 weeks in 2024 that Taylor has ruled the ARIA charts across multiple albums, including 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, and Lover.
That’s right—she’s managed to outdo even herself, beating her 17-week streak from 2023.
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Adding to the excitement, Stray Kids storm in at No. 4 with their mixtape Hop. With Aussies Felix and Bang Chan leading the charge, the K-pop superstars prove they’re a force to be reckoned with, following the success of last year’s 5-Star.
Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas makes its festive return, climbing back into the top 10 at No. 9, because let’s face it—Christmas isn’t complete without Bublé crooning in the background.
On the Singles Chart, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ smash hit “APT.” is showing no signs of slowing down, claiming its seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1. With just one more week, it could tie Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” as 2024’s longest-running No. 1 single. And speaking of holiday magic, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” rockets from No. 8 to No. 3. The Queen of Christmas does it again, with her timeless anthem on track for another festive chart takeover.
Holiday cheer continues to sprinkle across the charts. Wham!’s “Last Christmas” jingles its way up to No. 7, while Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” cracks the top 10 at No. 10.
Not to be left out, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” rises to No. 14, and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” climbs to No. 18, proving that the season of giving is also the season of charting. Lola Young shakes things up with her breakout hit “Messy,” which leaps from No. 18 to No. 6, marking the U.K. singer’s first top 10 in Australia.
As Stray Kids’ new album HOP debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Dec. 28), they become the first act to debut at No. 1 with their first six charting albums. The Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March of 1956. Stray Kids previously debuted atop the chart […]
Stray Kids score their sixth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart as HOP debuts atop the list dated Dec. 28. It’s the sixth leader for the group, making the pop ensemble the first act to debut at No. 1 with its first six chart entries in the nearly 69-year history of the chart. The Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March 1956.
Stray Kids previously opened atop the chart with ODDINARY and MAXIDENT (both in 2022), ROCK-STAR and 5-STAR (both in 2023) and ATE (earlier in 2024).
Further, with a sixth No. 1, Stray Kids tie BTS, Linkin Park and Dave Matthews Band for the most No. 1s among groups on the Billboard 200 in this century (since 2000).
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HOP arrives with 187,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 19, according to Luminate, largely driven by traditional album sales.
Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas jingles back to the top 10 for a seventh consecutive holiday season, as the 1994 release climbs 14-10. The set, which contains the Billboard Hot 100-topping “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” peaked at No. 3 in 1994.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Dec. 28, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday, Dec. 24. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of HOP’s 187,000 first-week equivalent album units, album sales comprise 176,000 (it debuts at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart), SEA units comprise 10,000 (equaling 14.83 million on-demand official streams of the sets songs) and TEA units comprise 1,000.
HOP’s album sales were bolstered by its availability across seven different CD variants, all containing collectible items such as photocards, posters, stickers and trading cards (including some randomized items), with variants exclusive to Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and the act’s official webstore. Of the album’s 176,000 album sales, CD sales comprise 171,000, while digital download albums comprise 5,000.
Previously, Stray Kids were tied with late rapper DMX as the only acts to see their first five chart entries debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. DMX did it in 1998-2003 with It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998), Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood (1999), …And Then There Was X (2000), The Great Depression (2001) and Grand Champ (2003).
As HOP is mostly in the Korean language, it is the 27th mostly non-English-language album to hit No. 1, and the fourth of 2024. Three other mostly-Korean-language sets topped the chart earlier this year, all by also debuting at No. 1: On the Nov. 30-dated list, ATEEZ landed its second leader with Golden Hour: Part.2; on the Aug. 3 chart, Stray Kids’ ATE arrived; and on the March 9 chart, TWICE notched its first leader in With YOU-th. Of the 27 mostly non-English-language albums to reach No. 1, 18 are mostly Korean, five mostly (or all) Spanish, one mostly Italian, one entirely French and two mostly a blend of Spanish, Italian and French. Of the 27 mostly non-English-language albums to reach No. 1, 23 have topped the chart since 2018 (the year that K-pop superstars BTS scored their first of six No. 1s, the chart’s first Korean-language leaders).
The rest of the Billboard 200’s top five comprises former No. 1s: Kendrick Lamar’s GNX is a non-mover at No. 2 (100,000 equivalent album units earned; down 20%), Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department falls 1-3 (85,000; down 65%), Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet steps 5-4 (69,000; down 9%) and Michael Bublé’s Christmas climbs 7-5 (68,000; up 10%).
The most recently released holiday album in the top 10 is Bing Crosby’s Ultimate Christmas compilation, which ascends two spots to a new peak at No. 6 (65,000 equivalent album units; up 15%). The Wicked film soundtrack falls 6-7 (nearly 65,000; down 13%), Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft rises 9-8 (62,000; up 11%) and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess climbs 11-9 (56,000; up 12%).
Closing out the top 10 is Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas, rising 14-10 with 56,000 equivalent album units earned (up 22% with a 10,000 unit gain — the largest unit increase on the chart). The set returns to the top 10 for a seventh consecutive holiday season. It peaked at No. 3 during its initial chart run in 1994, shortly following its release that year.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
SNL musical guest Hozier closed the season with his hit “Too Sweet” and a cover of The Pogues‘ “Fairytale of New York” on the Martin Short-hosted episode Saturday night (Dec. 21). Introduced by Short, Hozier performed “Too Sweet,” his 2024 chart-topper that took off 10 years after his breakthrough single “Take Me to Church,” which […]
