State Champ Radio Podcasts
Trending on Billboard
“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.”
————
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.)
Trending on Billboard As the charts have remained dominated all November by Taylor Swift — now in her second month of pop-world eclipsing — a number of long-beloved underground stars who’ve never quite played on her commercial level have made their return. Within the space of eight days, we received new releases from Rosalía, Charli xcx, Robyn […]
Trending on Billboard
We’ve known Kevin Jonas for the better part of 20 years as the eldest member of the Jonas Brothers, and last week, we were introduced to what he sounds like when he’s all on his own.
Jonas officially released his first solo single “Changing” last week, but he’s been playing an abbreviated version of the track on the JoBros’ ongoing Greetings From My Hometown Tour, starting with their August date at Boston’s Fenway Park.
“What a great way to start it off,” Jonas told Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast of making his solo debut at the famed ballpark. “Really thrown into the fire, getting to actually do that at Fenway Park, which was wild. You know, this tour has been about surprises. It’s been about the surprise guests we’ve been bringing out from the start of it. And so I guess, in essence, I was also another surprise guest.”
In addition to the tour, Kevin’s role in A Very Jonas Christmas Movie — which arrived earlier this month on Disney+ alongside a soundtrack album via Hollywood and Republic — also set up his solo debut, but that hadn’t been the plan all along. Listen to Kevin’s full interview in the podcast below, and find highlights from our chat as well — including whether there’s more solo music on the way.
Why was now the right time for Kevin’s solo music?
I didn’t have the right song. I think for me, it was about finding my voice in the music, and it took a long time. You know, I’ve recorded and wrote songs and recorded music for 15, 16, 17-plus years, and nothing ever really just felt like authentically me and real and honest and like how I wanted it to sound. And also, maybe my vocal ability didn’t feel as strong as I wanted it to be. I’m pretty critical of myself. You know, it’s kind of challenging when you’re standing next to two of the best vocalists I’ve ever met.
How did he find the perfect song?
I wrote Jason Evigan — a longtime friend, songwriter, producer — and I wrote him in February, and I said, “Hey, man, do you have any songs that you feel could work for me?” … And I didn’t hear back from him until June, and he wrote me and said, “I thought about you last night, and I remembered I have this song.” I’m like, oh, OK, five months later. [Laughs] It doesn’t matter; it’s all about timing, right? And he sent me “Changing,” and it just instantly felt like a song I’ve heard before. It felt weirdly like a part of the ether for me. And I was like, “I know this song. I feel like I’ve lived this song.” It’s weird. And I was like, “I’m coming to L.A. in two weeks. … I would like to cut it.” I flew in early, and we cut it, and instantly, while singing it, it was the first time I’ve ever felt at ease cutting vocals like that for myself. And I was like, “OK, this feels different.” And I got the cut, and [producer] Mark Schick and team, they killed it, and they really made me feel great and comfortable.
Is more solo music on the way?
I have been recording more music with this team, yes, but I luckily, as an independent artist — which is fun to say, outside the Jonas Brothers, right? I’m really able to do kind of whatever I want, so I don’t have to follow specific rules. I don’t know if an album’s in the works. Maybe an EP, maybe just a collection of some music that I like over the course of the year. I really don’t have exact plans. I know the next song I want to release, but as of right now, I’m gonna get through this one first.
How did A Very Jonas Christmas Movie set up his solo debut?
My song “Changing” wasn’t even a thought yet. And so for now, for this movie to come out, which has that storyline, and then the next thing comes out, and it’s a week later, [is] my song. The stars are kind of aligned on it.
Why now for a Jonas Brothers Christmas movie?
I will say, it’s been a bucket-list item for us to do a Christmas movie ever since the days back working with Disney, like when we were much younger. We met with Bob Iger and team, and we said, “We’ve always wanted to do a Christmas movie.” Who doesn’t love the holidays, right? And it didn’t come together then, but then the last couple years, we’ve been reigniting our relationship with Disney, and now we’re doing Camp Rock 3 as executive producers, and we’re in the film and then working with them on this project. It really happened at the right time. Our families are involved. I think we can speak to the adult nature of things now, at the same time of allowing it to be just enough fun so kids will love it, but still, like, you know, I’m almost 40, so I think it’s a little easier to digest as a film.
How did the movie soundtrack come together?
The album and soundtrack is incredible. You know, it really is special that we got to work with an incredible team. Justin Tranter did a great job of creating and helping us craft this universe. “Coming Home This Christmas” is a song that we’ve actually held on to for a while. We had it before the movie, and we kind of ended up knowing that it felt perfect for this film, and so we kind of built the story around that as well. Sometimes you’ve just got to collect those songs and just hold on to them for a little bit.
How did Kevin prepare for his first non-music-video acting gig with his brothers since their Disney Channel days?
I leaned on [Joe and Nick] a lot. I worked with an amazing acting coach who’s a really good friend, Michael Park. He’s a Broadway actor. We’ve seen him in a lot of things, but he’s like one of our best friends, and I really called him every day. Just leaned on him. Because playing yourself to start is a weird challenge. … Nick’s done a lot of movies, Joe’s done a lot of movies and acting, and I just kind of had to do the best version.
________________
Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how Taylor Swift continues to dominate both the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart; how Summer Walker, NF and 5 Seconds of Summer all debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200; and how Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” jingles back into the top 10 on the Hot 100. Plus, Katie tells Keith about seeing Robyn’s first concert in six years (plus the live debut of her newest single “Dopamine”) and the penultimate show of Sabrina Carpenter’s year-plus Short n’ Sweet Tour.
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.)
Trending on Billboard
Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal made history at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Nov. 1, performing its largest North American show to date in the group’s only arena concert of 2025. Such large-scale shows are common in the band’s home country, but American audiences were treated to a special in-the-round stage and pyrotechnics-filled production in support of the band’s fourth album, Metal Forth (released in the U.S. through Virgin Music Group).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
The setup was as impressive as the milestone itself. The fire-spewing square stage was rotated 45 degrees, creating a diamond with edges that nearly touched the arena’s four sides. That put the band — Su-metal, Moametal and Momometal, plus two guitarist, a bass player and drummer — in close proximity to its adoring fans. “We set up the stage right in the center of the venue so that the audience could see the performance from 360 degrees,” Su-metal tells Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast. “It turned out exactly the kind of show we’ve always wanted people outside Japan to see.”
The 15-song set spanned Babymetal’s catalog, opening with “BABYMETAL DEATH” and touching on “from me to u” and “Distortion” before “PA PA YA!!” sent the crowd into pandemonium. Intuit Dome’s halo-shaped video screen that hovers over the floor added to the sensory overload by showing images and video of studio collaborators such as Indian rapper Bloodywood, who came to life during a memorable performance of “Kon! Kon!” from Metal Forth.
A surprise came about two-thirds into the set when Babymetal was joined on stage by Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante, who recreated the ferocious singing on “My Queen” that makes the collaboration a highlight from Metal Forth. The song is typical of the Babymetal’s intention to go “beyond metal,” as the band has said in previous interviews, by mixing genres and filling Metal Forth with collaborations with Bloodywood, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Electric Callboy, Spiritbox, Poppy and Slaughter to Prevail. “Our foundation is metal, of course, but we want to combine even more diverse musical styles to forge a new path only we can create,” explains Momometal.
The three-song encore featured “The One,” “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!” and “Road of Resistance.” The uplifting “The One,” from the 2016 album Metal Resistance, prompted fans in a mosh pit to lock arms, create a huge circle and sway from side to side. The song stands out in Moametal’s memory of the concert. “During ‘The One,’ cheers from the audience were so loud it felt like the ground was shaking,” she says. “My heart just exploded with joy.”
Listen to Behind the Setlist’s entire interview with Su-metal, Moametal and Momometal using the embedded Spotify player below, or go to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart, Podbean or Everand.
Trending on Billboard The Brothers Gibb had already enjoyed two fairly full career arcs as hitmakers by the time the Bee Gees surfaced for a third time in the mid-’70s — this time as Miami-dwelling disco dons. They got off to a pretty good start with a pair of Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, […]
Trending on Billboard Mariah Carey might say “It’s time” for Christmas, but what about Thanksgiving? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are making sure we don’t ski right over Thanksgiving on our path to the December holiday season, because there is a lot of good pop entertainment lined up for your […]
Trending on Billboard In 2012, popular music was at a point of major transition. Rock was fading from the mainstream, R&B was getting weird, rap was entering its middle age, and EDM was suddenly at the center of everything. All of these trends were reflected at that spring’s Coachella, where some of the defining artists […]
Trending on Billboard It’s not officially Grammy season until there’s some spirited debate about this year’s nominations — and here we are. On this week’s Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are chatting through the 2026 Grammy nominations, starting with the Big Four categories (album, record and song of the year, plus best new […]
Trending on Billboard
When Bob Dylan arrived in New York City in January 1961, he was a 19-year-old from Minnesota armed with an acoustic guitar and a head full of Woody Guthrie songs. His early recordings from that period — many featured on the just-released The Bootleg Series Volume 18: Through the Open Window, 1956-1963 — reveal a young artist still finding his voice, often mimicking the melodies and vocal styles of his heroes.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Within a few months, Dylan would go through a transformation. The young singer-songwriter became an interpreter of others’ works, imbuing them with a unique character missing on earlier recordings. “The story of Volume 18 is Bob Dylan becoming Bob Dylan,” Sean Wilentz tells Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast. Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set. “It’s about his coming of age, his maturation — first as a performer and then as a songwriter — to become the person that we think of [today].”
With Dylan surrounded by folk, blues, jazz and comedians such as Lenny Bruce, his artistic growth began immediately upon arriving in the Village in early 1961. By the time he was recording his self-titled debut album in November, Dylan had gained an ability to transform somebody else’s song and make it his own. “People will either imitate or they’ll just do a kind of a superficial rewrite,” says Wilentz, a professor of history at Princeton University. Dylan was an imitator when he moved to New York. Just a year later, who would write “Blowin’ in the Wind” and change the course of American music.
Dylan spent these formative months working relentlessly on his craft, writing songs just about anywhere he could. “He can be in the middle of a subway car and he’s writing a song,” says Wilentz. “He’s always writing songs — but he’s doing more than that. He’s learning how to play the guitar. He’s learning how to emote. He’s learning all kinds of things, and he’s working very hard at it. He’s also learning the entire spectrum of American song in a way that most kids just didn’t.”
This wasn’t just artistic growth — it was a metamorphosis. Dylan was no longer mimicking the artists who came before him; he was reshaping songs in his unique style. Wilentz points to Dylan’s recording of the Guthrie’s “Ramblin’ Round,” an outtake that appears on the first CD of Volume 18 as being emblematic of this evolution. “It’s fantastic,” Wilentz says. “You listen to it closely and it’s not Woody Guthrie at all, but it is Woody Guthrie. [Dylan] has turned it into his own song.” “Ramblin’ Round” doesn’t just pay homage — it reimagines Guthrie. Like many of the tracks on Volume 18, it’s a glimpse into an artist who would eventually reshape the American songbook.
Listen to the entire interview with Bob Dylan historian Sean Wilentz using the embedded Spotify player below, or go to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart, Podbean or Everand.
Trending on Billboard
The Ball brothers are teaming up again — this time off the court and outside the booth. Lonzo and LiAngelo Ball are returning to the podcast world with their new series, The Ball and the Family Podcast.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
“The chemistry hits different when it’s real family,” Lonzo tells Billboard. “We joke, argue, push each other, hype each other up — you’ll see that. People will also see how our relationship has evolved, from kids in the backyard to dealing with everything we’ve been through.”
Set to debut Nov. 11, The Ball and the Family Podcast will feature 40 episodes with guests from across the sports and entertainment world, including Michael Porter Jr., Larry Nance Jr., Myles Turner, Donovan Mitchell and Jake Paul. The premiere episode will feature ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. The show will stream exclusively on the Betr app, a gaming and media platform cofounded by Joey Levy and Jake Paul.
“You can come on the show and really be yourself. No filters. Real conversations. It’s your voice, heard by the world,” LiAngelo tells Billboard, promising a space for authenticity.
Though both brothers juggle demanding schedules, they’ll host remotely: Lonzo — now with the Cleveland Cavaliers — will record from Cleveland and on the road, while LiAngelo will be based in Los Angeles. They will also share hosting duties alongside Darren “DMo” Moore and Anthony “Ant” Salazar.
Beyond their shared ties to basketball and music, the Ball brothers aim to explore deeper conversations and dream of hosting guests like Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, Zendaya, Barack Obama, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
“We want to go deeper than basketball and music,” Lonzo says. “Everyone always sees the highlights, but we want to take people behind the scenes — family dynamics, growth, what we’ve learned. Real life conversations, but still fun.”
