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Mickey Hart was with Zakir Hussain right until “the moment that he left this plane” on Dec. 15 at the age of 73– as well he should have been.
The Grateful Dead percussionist and Indian tabla master were tight, as friends and as musicians. They met in 1970 when Hussain’s father, Allarakha Qureshi, sent Hussain to knock on Hart’s tour and begin an association that started with Hart’s first solo album, Rolling Thunder in 1972, and continued until Hussain’s death, when the two were still working on a project that includes tuned hand drums, drones and sonic bathing. In between were Grammy Award-winning works as Planet Drum and the Global Drum Project, as well the Diga Rhythm Band in 1976 and number of other collaborations on Hart albums such as 1990’s At the Edge and Mickey Hart’s Mystery Box in 1996.
Hussain’s legacy also includes four Grammy Awards (three of them earlier this year), founding membership in the fusion band Shakiti and recordings with Pharoah Sanders, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer, John Handy, L. Shankar Charles Lloyd and more. Hussain also taught at Princeton University and Stanford University and received a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Mumbai.
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Hart tells Billboard that “the shock is still with us” from Hussain’s passing, but he was happy to share the great memories he has of his friend and fellow rhythmist.
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“You talk about someone who is a great rhythm master, you have to start with Zakir. He was an enormous influence on all genres, considering he crossed more borders, musically, than anybody I’ve ever met or known in history. There is no one that has traveled as far to do so much than Zakir, because he was constantly on the road, constantly spreading the rhythm seeds everywhere he went. Maybe every 1,000 years you get somebody like Zakir. He was the Mozart of his instrument, one of the greatest musicians who ever lived, a great tabla player and a great rhythmist. Zakir can play everything from spoons to his nose — he can play nose flute like a maniac, he does it all.
“He comes from a lineage of drummers, so it’s part of his DNA. He’s born to drums, so he was nurtured as a baby, when his father recited rhythms in his ear as an infant. Allarakha was my mentor, my teacher. I met him when Phil Lesh gave me a record called Drums of North and South India; he handed it to me and said, ‘You should hear this. This is for you,’ or something like that. When I listened to it I was just riveted. I really heard it, and I was never the same after that. It contained Allarakha, and I couldn’t believe what he was playing. It influenced a lot of Grateful Dead music because of the unusual time signatures…those kind of very complicated rhythmic gems that we really practiced for long periods of time to learn. I found (Allarakha) in New York in 1967, and he became my teacher.
“Then in 1970 Zakir knocked on my door; his father sent him to me because his father comes from the analog world, quiet, and Zakir was a young man when I met him. We lived together for awhile, and we really bonded and he opened himself up to the feel and the rhythms of the West. He was very strict — as he should have been from north Indian classical music where you’re supposed to be very accurate and everything is composed and traditional, ancient rhymes that are codified and only played one way, by everybody. In the West it was loud music and a new kind of rhythm, kind of funkier than he had played in the past, and he accepted that. I play that serpentine kind of way, move in and out of the groove and it slips and slide and everybody goes with it; that makes for an amazing, living creature as opposed to a pre-ordained rhythm.
“So he opened himself up to the West and he flourished in it. He loved it. We played together like it was meant to be. For me to be playing these north Indian classical rhythms was very difficult at first; it took months, years to come up to a level where Zakir was. He kinda came down and I went up and we met in the middle, that kind of thing. But it was very resonant; we felt love in the groove, and the groove was deep. He and his father both played on Rolling Thunder, my first solo work, and we went on to do so many records together. He was a colleague and a rhythm master, and our deep friendship translated into rhythm — I would say bliss is a good word to describe how it feels when we play together.
“It’s hard to say who he influenced — anybody who ever heard him, let’s put it that way, was not the same. A lot of people can’t understand him, but they can feel him. They hear someone with great passion playing rhythms they’ve never heard before. He’s the Einstein of rhythm — that’s a good way of thinking of him as a rhythmist and what he could do and speak in the rhythm language. He’s way above any other percussionist or rhythmist I’ve worked with on this planet. Maybe there’s somebody better on Mars, but not on earth — and I’ve heard a lot of them.
“Jerry (Garcia) joined us for At the Edge (1990). Jerry and Zakir got along really well. Jerry noticed immediately who he was and Zakir, of course, just loved Jerry’s musical style. The banjo, of course, is like a rhythm instrument and Jerry plays the guitar like a banjo. A lot of the bluegrass instruments work perfectly within Indian rhythms because of the nature of it, three against two, all these intertwining rhythms that go on in banjo playing and also in tabla. And, of course, that explains (Hussein’s) Bela Fleck collaboration, because of course he’s a master banjoist, or banjolero.
“(Hussein)’s just a very kind man, and he plays like that, too. He’s really good as a composer as well, and arranger. He can do it all. He can play anything, but he’s a kind man — very thoughtful, unbelievably generous. He started to teach in the 70s; he had thousands of students all over the world and he dedicated himself to teaching hem the traditional rhythms. He traveled everywhere, constantly; even when we were on tour, if we had three days off he would go to India to conduct the national symphony or accept the greatest honor and come back for sound check on Monday. He was able to travel long distances, and he had this system of meditation he would so he wouldn’t get jet lag, and that increased his proficiency. He was able to perform more and travel because of that. He just wouldn’t stop.
“We’re starting to unearth so much of what we never got (released), never hit the street, which is voluminous. You’ve got to remember we’ve been recording since 1970, so there’s a lot of Zakir Hussein, and you bet I’d like to work on a Zakir Hussein compilation and keep his music alive, and that’s what I’m about to do.”
In the meantime, Hart and Grateful Dead mates Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann will be featured on CBS’ broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors, where they were feted on Dec. 8, on Dec. 22. “It was surprisingly a lot of fun, and profound in many ways,” Hart says of the ceremony, where the Dead men were celebrated alongside Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval and The Apollo theater. “It was nice to be honored, but it was not essential. It’s hard to be honored for something that it’s a privilege to do, you know? You don’t do it for medals…but it was a great show for the arts, to be able to show how powerful (it is) and that music can cover so much ground in so many different ways.”
The group’s current incarnation, Dead & Company, will become the first act to launch a second residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, with an 18-show Dead Forever — Live At Sphere that starts March 20. The six-weekend run will celebrated Dead & Company’s 10th anniversary, and Hart promises “all new compositions and ‘Drums and Space,’” that will build on what the group did earlier this year. “
“If you’re in a place for a long enough period of time you start to learn the room; you play the room as if the room is your instrument,” Hart explains. “We’re just playing it loose and playing it from the heart, and we serve the music. That’s what musicians do. We’re just working musicians, and Sphere is such a great place to work.”
Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley is grappling with the bittersweet reality of the band’s impending farewell, as the Canadian leg of their “Tour of the Setting Sum” approaches.
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The pop-punk icons, who announced their decision to disband in 2023, are set to play their final show on Jan. 30, 2025, at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena—bringing their 28-year career to a close.
In an interview with iHeartRadio Canada, Whibley shared that the gravity of the band’s final chapter is finally sinking in. “For the first time, this is actually hitting me that the Canadian run is gonna be the last run,” he said. “Now there’s only four more weeks left, and this is the final run. So it’s finally hitting me that it’s coming to an end.”
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Despite the nostalgia surrounding the farewell tour, Whibley admitted that he’s not naturally drawn to looking back. “I don’t spend much time in memory lane,” he said, though he acknowledged that touring often evokes memories of the band’s storied history. “Everywhere I go, everything I do, every tour that I do, every city that I go to constantly reminds me of some wild story—or even just something boring, like a great restaurant I’ve been to.”
Whibley also reflected on his journey of sobriety, having been sober for nearly 11 years after a near-death experience from alcohol-related organ failure in 2014. Comparing his life on the road now to the early, wild years of Sum 41, he said, “I prefer being sober now. The things that you enjoy, you actually feel more, whereas when you were drinking, yeah, there are a lot of wild stories and there’s a lot of crazy nights, but there were so many nights that we were just drinking for no reason, too.”
He added, “There were so many boring nights that you just spent drinking a bottle of Jack or whatever that we all stayed up till six in the morning, just driving on the bus, talking about dumb stuff that is just kind of pointless. But they’re just different lifestyles.”
“I don’t regret any of those years, but I’m glad I don’t do it anymore.”
Sum 41’s farewell has not been without challenges. Earlier this month, the band canceled their Australian shows, including a co-headlining appearance at the Good Things festival, due to Whibley’s recent battle with pneumonia. Despite health scares, Whibley has soldiered on to ensure the farewell tour continues as planned.
Sum 41’s farewell tour caps a year of significant Billboard milestones, marking their enduring impact on alternative rock. Earlier in 2024, “Landmines” topped the Alternative Airplay chart, breaking the record for the longest gap between No. 1 hits—22 years after “Fat Lip” ruled in 2001.
The success continued with “Dopamine,” which reached No. 1 on Nov. 30, making this the first year since 2001 that the band achieved two top 10 hits. The track also climbed to No. 6 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart and boosted Heaven :X: Hell, their final album, which debuted at No. 23 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.
Sum 41 fans will have one more chance to see the band live during an encore performance at the Juno Awards in Vancouver on March 30.
Blondie have announced the release of a new album in 2025, with production helmed by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton.
The news was shared by guitarist and co-founder Chris Stein, who posted a black-and-white photo of lead singer Debbie Harry and Congleton in the studio on Bluesky, accompanied by the caption, “With John Congleton. New Blondie record next year.”
It marks the band’s first album since 2017’s Pollinator, also produced by Congleton. That record earned critical acclaim and featured collaborations with artists like Joan Jett, Charli XCX, and Johnny Marr. Known for his work with St. Vincent and Angel Olsen, Congleton’s involvement hints at a modern, innovative approach for Blondie’s upcoming release.
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Hints of the project have been circulating for months. Stein previously shared photos from the studio on Instagram, teasing fans with mentions of “a new Blondie album” and confirming on BBC Radio 6 that the record had entered the mixing phase earlier this year.
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Blondie lit up the Billboard Hot 100 with four chart-topping hits that defined their genre-bending brilliance. The disco anthem “Heart of Glass” had everyone dancing in 1979, while the high-energy “Call Me” dominated in 1980. That same year, they switched things up with the reggae-infused “The Tide Is High,” and by 1981, they were breaking boundaries with the rap-meets-rock vibes of “Rapture.”
Their albums made just as big a splash. Parallel Lines (1978) climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard 200, driven by unforgettable hits like “Heart of Glass” and the gritty “One Way or Another.”
A couple of years later, Autoamerican (1980) landed at No. 7, bolstered by the massive success of “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture,” proving that Blondie’s versatility had no limits. Even earlier, Eat to the Beat (1979) had fans hooked, reaching No. 17 with tracks like “Dreaming” that became instant favorites.
Phil Collins, widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, opens up about his enduring passion for music and the struggles he’s faced in Phil Collins: Drummer First, which premiered on Dec. 18 on the Drumeo YouTube channel.
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The documentary captures Collins revisiting his drum kit for the first time in years, a moment that’s both poignant and powerful. “It’s still kind of sinking in,” Collins says in the documentary. “I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
Collins, now 73, has faced numerous health challenges stemming from a 2007 spinal injury that left him with limited mobility and complications such as drop foot. His drumming, once the heartbeat of Genesis and his solo career, has been sidelined in recent years. During Genesis’ 2022 farewell tour, Collins passed the torch to his son Nic, who filled in on drums. Still, his connection to the instrument remains unshakable.
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“If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything,” he reflects. “But if I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I’ll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”The documentary sheds light on Collins’ legendary career, including anecdotes that illustrate his profound impact on music.
He recalls Peter Gabriel recognizing his talent the first time they played together, and Eric Clapton’s incredulous reaction to his drumming: “F—ing hell, what was that?!” The moments underscore Collins’ identity as a drummer first and foremost. “I’m not a singer who drums a bit,” he asserts. “I’m Phil Collins, and I am a drummer.”
Nic Collins provides further context to his father’s struggles, revealing that years of drumming took a significant toll on his posture and spine, ultimately necessitating a major neck surgery.
Despite the physical setbacks, the elder Collins finds joy in revisiting his instrument, even briefly. Holding drumsticks again, he admits, “It just feels so strange to hold a pair.”
Collins has achieved remarkable success on the Billboard charts throughout his career, particularly during the 1980s. As a solo artist, Collins earned seven No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” “Sussudio,” and “Another Day in Paradise,” which spent four weeks at the top.
His 1985 album No Jacket Required dominated the Billboard 200, earning diamond certification and winning the Grammy for Album of the Year. With Genesis, Collins reached No. 1 with “Invisible Touch” in 1986.
Bob ‘Slim’ Dunlap, the Minnesota-born guitarist who rose to fame as the final guitarist for Minneapolis punk outfit The Replacements, has died at the age of 73.
Per a report from The Minnesota Star Tribune, Dunlap passed away early in the afternoon on Wednesday (Dec. 18). His cause of death was said to be related to the stroke he suffered in 2012 that not only left him bedridden, but unable to play music anymore.
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“Bob passed at home today at 12:48 p.m. surrounded by family,” a statement shared by his family read. “We played him his Live at the Turf Club (Thank You Dancers!) CD, and he left us shortly after listening to his version of ‘Hillbilly Heaven’ — quite poignant. It was a natural decline over the past week. Overall it was due to complications from his stroke.”
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Born in 1951, Dunlap began playing guitar at a young age and rose to local attention in the late ’70s while performing with Curtiss A (aka Curt Almsted). Almsted later formed the punk-influenced Spooks, which featured Dunlap on guitar and caught the attention of The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg.
At the time, Westerberg had been seeking a replacement for founding guitarist Bob Stinson, who was ousted in 1986. Though Dunlap initially declined Westerberg’s offer to join the band, the decision was later reversed due to his admiration for Westerberg’s songwriting.
Adopting the name ‘Slim’ to avoid confusion with Stinson, Dunlap fittingly became known as “the replacement Replacement” by many fans. He performed with The Replacements from 1987 until their dissolution in 1991, appearing on 1989’s Don’t Tell a Soul and 1990’s All Shook Down albums.
Following The Replacements’ split, Dunlap launched a solo career, releasing The Old New Me in 1993 and Times Like This in 1996, and remained active in the local scene until his musical career came to an end in 2012 following a stroke.
A number of artists, including The Replacements, Steve Earle, The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, Jakob Dylan, Frank Black, and Jeff Tweedy, all contributed to the 2013 Songs for Slim compilation to raise money for his recovery.
Dunlap’s final release, Thank You, Dancers!, was released in 2020 and featured recordings from a 2002 live performance at St. Paul’s Turf Club.
Violet Grohl, the daughter of rock veteran Dave Grohl, is reportedly in the process of preparing her debut album.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Violet has been working on new material in a studio space that she had been gifted for her birthday by her father. Having performed alongside Dave in the past and also releasing music as a solo artist, Violet is has been described as being “incredibly committed” to the musical process and “to growing as an artist” by an unnamed source.
Currently, her studio time has seen her working with producer Justin Raisen, who has worked with artists as varied as Charli XCX, Drake, and John Legend, and most recently, Kim Gordon on her Grammy-nominated album The Collective.
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Violet first emerged as a musician in 2018 at the age of 12, performing a cover of Adele’s “When We Were Young” with her father. Since then, she has also joined her father and other surviving members of Nirvana for a cover of “Heart-Shaped Box”, in addition to providing backing vocals for the likes of St. Vincent and Beck.
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She’s also provided backing vocals on songs released the Foo Fighters‘ Medicine at Midnight and But Here We Are albums, and performed as part of the tribute concerts to late drummer Taylor Hawkins. In 2021, she also released her debut single, covering X’s “Nausea”, again in collaboration with her father.
“She’s a true torch singer,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter of her recent material. “Her vocals are tremendous. She’s very talented.”
Currently, official details relating to Violet’s full-length debut are being kept under wraps, including whether the music will be released via the Foo Fighters’ Roswell Records imprint of RCA Records – as was her “Nausea” single.
Dave Grohl and the remainder of his family have been relatively absent from the public eye since September, when Dave shared he had become the father of a daughter born outside of his marriage. “I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her,” he wrote on social media.
“I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness,” he added. “We’re grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.”
It’s been a big year for Taylor Swift, so it only makes sense that she would celebrate her 35th birthday with an appropriately-large party.
Swift turned 35 on Friday (Dec. 13), just days after wrapping up Era Tour, which has assumed the throne of the highest-grossing tour of all time, by artists of any genre, and from any era in music history. Already, however, she’s celebrated with a number of special events, including sharing a cache of behind-the-scenes videos, and taking out an additional ten Billboard Music Awards – bringing her total to a massive 49.
The celebrations haven’t ended there, though, with reports that Swift’s partner, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, gifted $175,000 worth of floral arrangements and jewellery for her birthday.
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Now, her birthday week has continued with a party apparently inspired by the conclusion of Swift’s Eras tour. An Instagram post from Brittany Mahomes showed the former soccer player decked out in an outfit that pays homage to Swift’s Fearless album, while husband and Kelce’s Chiefs teamate Patrick Mahomes sporting a suit reminiscent of the “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” costume change.
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Elsewhere, Lyndsay Bell (wife of the Chiefs’ Blake Bell) could be seen wearing an outfit apparently inspired by Swift’s Lover era, while close friend Ashley Avignone sported a snake around her neck in reference to Reputation.
Other photos from the event also show friendship bracelets on offer as well, heavily referring back to the same bracelets which have become synonymous with Swift thanks to the Era tour.
Swift’s birthday celebrations have also coincided with her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, topping the Billboard 200 for the 17th week this week (chart dated Dec. 21), bringing her career total of weeks spent at No. 1 to 86 – second only to The Beatles at 130 weeks.
SPOILER ALERT: The following story contains the name of the winner and runner-up from Wednesday night’s (Dec. 18) season 12 finale of The Masked Singer.
It was another wild and wooly season on The Masked Singer, with the 12th go-round of the series welcoming everyone from former superstar NFL QB John Elway (Leaf Sheep) and surfer Bethany Hamilton (Macaron), to actors Yvette Nicole Brown (Showbird), Laverne Cox (Chess Piece), Jana Kramer (Royal Knight) and Drake Bell (Ice King), as well as former Conan O’Brien sidekick Andy Richter (Dust Bunny).
There were, of course, some professional singers in the mix too, including Paula Cole (Ship), Natalie Imbruglia (Bluebell) and AJ Michalka (Strawberry Shortcake). But when the last notes rung out, it was one of the all-time-great vocal groups that won out over one of their fellow R&B crooners.
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On their route to the winner’s circle, three-person masked marvels Buffalos were all over the map when it came to their musical choices, from an impressive early take on Cutting Crew’s 1986 hit “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight,” to a soulful run through Foreigner’s ultimate power ballad “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and a no-notes, touching cover of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One.”
And though the judges were sure they were members of a soul singing crew, Buffalos kept trying to keep Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke and Rita Ora off the scent with sing-alongs and sing-offs on Fall Out Boys’ “High Hopes,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” and a slam-dunk semifinal torching of Toto’s yacht rock anthem “Africa.”
In the end, though, after nearly being eliminated while trying to keep viewers and the judges guessing, they pulled out an absolutely stunning take on Sam Smith’s “Too Good at Goodbyes” on Wednesday night’s finale, leaving little doubt that their old pal McCarthy-Wahlberg was right all along.
When the wooly heads came off, it was none other than Boyz II Men‘s Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris who triumphed over Wasp, fellow R&B singer Mario. Billboard spoke with the trio before their elimination to talk about how the show challenged their nearly four-decade onstage rhythm, why they kept picking such seemingly out-there songs, and how they ended up on a Christmas tune with football’s Kelce brothers.
Why Buffalos? Those costumes seemed crazy heavy and hot.
Nathan: I like the power. I like the strength, I like the unity, the whole crew, the herd. … It’s everything about who we are. Everybody had their roles, but at the same time we know what we need to do to make the pack stronger.
Wanya: Extremely [hot in there]. I’m talking about water, sweat running down every aspect, every orifice.
Nathan: I almost hyperventilated in that joint and I’m normally not like that. When you’re in there you have to give a lot more energy than you would to get the costume to have personality. You’re like a mascot. It’s hell in there, bro. Doing that, and singing and staying in key and doing routines? That sh– ain’t easy!
You all have been in sync for decades, but on the show you couldn’t see each other or watch each other’s mouths move. Was that a challenge?
Shawn: It was almost like wearing a football helmet, where you only have a certain line of sight. You had to turn your whole body to communicate and then turn around and all you saw was what the mask allowed you to see. We had in-ears [monitors], so we could hear the mix, but then the music and the crowd are going, it gets your adrenaline up and you’re trying to put on a character. It’s a lot of information in those few minutes, outside of trying to sound good and stay on key.
Wanya: The only thing you could see through was the nose. The eyes were up here [points to forehead], so it was like a cone.
We’re used to smooth R&B from you, but you really stretched out with songs by Toto, The Verve, OneRepublic, Shania Twain, Fall Out Boy — were you trying to throw people off the scent?
Nathan: We tried to trick people. We all thought, “They’re gonna know us right away,” so we had to pick different songs and each guy had to sing a different part than they normally do. So we did that and as we got further along in the battles, we almost got kicked off, so it didn’t work and we decided, “Just let ’em have it!”
Shawn: The cool thing was the irony that with the masks on we were able to be ourselves. Those songs were representative of who we are, not just an R&B group. All those songs you hear us sing are ones we listened to as kids, the genres we love and songs that allowed us to display who Boyz II Men really is.
Your voices are so instantly recognizable apart and together. Were there people who figured it out right away?
Wanya: Yeah, Jenny [McCarthy-Wahlberg] knows us. We’ve been on the road with her a few times with [husband] Donnie [Wahlberg]. She knowns our mannerisms and has heard our voices night after night when we were on a package tour with the New Kids [on the Block]. She knew right away. We tried to be less recognizable, but then we were pushed to the bottom two and were like, “Hell no!”
You’ve had some many unique experiences in your career. Was this one of the most unusual things you’ve done?
Wanya: Absolutely. It really fits up there with one of the most different things Boyz II Men have done in our career, with the closing ceremonies of the Olympics when we did the national anthem [at the 1996 Games].
What was it about being behind a mask that appealed to you? What did you want to prove?
Nathan: No expectations. When you hear Boyz II Men in your mind, you expect it to sound a certain way, but when we don’t have those expectations you can go anywhere you want.
Wanya: Watching the show last night and looking at Nate, who was the green Buffalo, I swear you would never know it was Nate in that suit because Nate doesn’t perform like that — he’s mellow, smooth. He looked like me in that Buffalo suit! He was super-animated and I was so happy to see it.
Nathan: I was just trying to throw them off. I was having fun because this is what I do when I’m around my crew.
Were you able to still do some of your patented choreo in those costumes?
Wanya: We had to switch it up for sure, the feet were big, bro. The feet… and that head!
Nathan: I stepped on Shawn like three or four times.
On the finale, you impressed with Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” which rocked. But you really made Sam Smith’s “Too Good at Goodbyes” your own. It sounded like it could have been your single.
Nathan: That’s when the gloves came off.
Shawn: We knew we had to go full-out Boyz II Men on the last show, and by that time there were a lot of people who were clued in on it being us, so we were like, “Let’s do Boyz II Men things!”
Wanya: We had an inkling of who we were going against [Wasp], and that dude is no joke!
Nathan: We weren’t supposed to know, but we [could tell] who it was.
You said Jenny knew, but she also mentioned B2K, and Robin thought it could be the Jonas Brothers or the rest of 98 Degrees [minus their show mentor Nick Lachey] or Big Time Rush. Always wrong Ken Jeong went with Bell Biv DeVoe, Bone Thugs -N-Harmony or Tony! Toni! Toné! There were also guesses of Earth, Wind & Fire and Blackstreet. Your thoughts?
Shawn: Some of that was a bit off, like Bone Thugs? No offense to the Thuggers.
Since it’s the holidays, tell us about your collab with the Kelce brothers on their “It’s Christmastime (In Cleveland Heights)” single.
Shawn: They reached out to us and they felt like we were synonymous with the idea that they had for the song and it was fun. It’s always cool to do things like that because they’re unexpected and we’ve been in this business for over 30 years. At this point, we’re just trying to do things that are interesting or fun or funny or something that pushes the boundaries of what a group at this point in our lives can do. Not only that, but it was for a good cause, for charities and some of our personal charities. And, it’s the Kelces! They’re the hottest brother duo in the country right now.
We know they can ball, but most importantly: How do you rate their vocals?
Nathan: You know… they ain’t bad! They did their thing. They are really good at football and they do that really, really good and they did that well, and I think that’s what their lot in life is. No diss, but they were great.
Wanya: How about this? They did that better than some of us would run a 9 route. I’ll tell you that!
Martin Short is set to host Saturday Night Live this weekend (Dec. 21), and he couldn’t help but throw playful jabs at his friends in a new promo for the upcoming episode. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the hilarious clip shared on Wednesday (Dec. 18), […]
Ariana Grande explains why touring her latest album isn’t in her plans and we break down how ‘Wicked’ songs are taking over the charts. Keep watching for more! Tetris Kelly: Ariana Grande is saying she’s halting the possibility of touring as ‘Wicked’ mania hits a high pitch with some radio smashes. We have the story. […]