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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 […]
Taylor Swift showed up to Saturday’s Chiefs-Texans game in a red, faux fur coat, looking how Penny Lane might’ve if she’d had a cozy Red era. The pop star was photographed on Dec. 21 arriving at Arrowhead Stadium, where boyfriend Travis Kelce’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, were playing the Houston Texans. A rich, red […]
This week on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we have begun unveiling the top 10 of our Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 list — and even though we’re still a few days away from the unveiling of our top two (coming up this Monday, Dec. 3), we’re already well in the thick of artists who were given strong consideration for the top spot.
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On our latest episode, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Pride editor Stephen Daw and staff writer Hannah Dailey to talk about our Nos. 6 through 3 artists, which we unveiled Wednesday and Thursday (Dec. 18-19) this week. We start at No. 6 with Ariana Grande, an all-century pop star whose 2024 got off to a great start, was in danger of being overshadowed by an impossibly packed summer, and now is ending even stronger than it began. We discuss our feelings about Eternal Sunshine and Wicked and debate how long the wait is likely to actually be until we next get new music from her.
Then, at No. 5 (we remember the Year of Charli XCX (25:30), a pop star whose brilliance seemed destined to be underappreciated in her own time, but which everyone seemed to finally realize at once in 2024. We share our memories of the impossible highs of Brat Summer, and what it was about this era of Charli’s — and how it kept expanding and evolving over those months — that made her truly unignorable in the larger pop culture. We also offer takes on what the true greatest artistic achievement of her year was, and play a fun guessing game related to the Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat remix album.
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After that, at No. 4, it’s Chappell Roan (1:05:30), an absolute supernova of a 2024 pop star, who emerged from cult hero-dom to scorch her way through the mainstream this year. We talk about what it means for pop stardom in general in 2024 that someone once believed to be primarily be a niche artist like Roan could unquestionably become one of the biggest stars in the world, and we marvel at how she was able to dominate the year while only releasing one new song. We also look at what the next year or two could look like for Roan as she acclimates to her insane new life circumstances and (hopefully) prepares for a globe-conquering second album.
Finally, at No. 3 (1:42:30), it’s Taylor Swift, already one of the greatest pop stars of all time. We discuss the cases for whether she’s too high on this list, too low or just right. We also look back at the legacies of her charts-conquering The Tortured Poets Department and her globe-conquering Eras Tour, and wonder what the hell she could possibly do next to try to follow all of it up. (Don’t worry, we have ideas.)
Check it all out above, and be sure to come back on Monday (Dec. 23) as we reveal our brutally difficult decision for the top two Greatest Pop Stars of 2024.
‘Tis the season to be a little petty. Kelly Clarkson shared her official album visualizer for her 2021 holiday project, When Christmas Comes Around… Again on Wednesday (Dec. 18), and the cozy fireplace display in the clip features a lineup for four stockings. Clarkson and her two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander, all have […]
Selena Gomez is living her dream life! After the “Rare” singer announced her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco, the star took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday (Dec. 19) to share a video of her sparkling marquise-cut diamond engagement ring, complete with a pavé band. “Sorry last post,” she wrote over the clip. “I’ve […]
It’s as predictable as the crazed sprint to the mall for that last clutch of gifts on Dec. 23. The annual Billboard chart showdown between the two undisputed queens of Christmas music: Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee.
There a dozens of holiday classics, new and old, to choose from at this time of year, from Wham!’s “Last Christmas” to Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” But when it comes to the top spot, there are really only two songs that keep jostling for the No. 1 slot on the Hot 100 at this most festive time of year: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Since you’ll be hearing a lot of those songs in the next week, let’s look at how we got to this annual tradition.
Lee released her song in 1958 when she was just 14 years old, with the track debuting on the Hot 100 singles chart on Dec. 12, 1960, originally peaking at No. 14 two weeks later, only to re-enter the Hot 100 after several decades during the 2013-2014 holiday season. “Rockin’” didn’t make it into the top 10 until 2018-2019 frame, then spent nine weeks at No. 2 on the singles tally in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 .
What kept the 80-year-old singer out of the top spot? Carey, of course.
“All I Want” — which appeared on Carey’s debut Christmas album, 1994’s Merry Christmas — first hit the Billboard charts in 1994, but didn’t crack the top 10 on the Hot 100 until December 2017. It finally reached the No. 1 spot in 2019 and has absolutely dominated every holiday season since.
Well, except for 2023, when Lee’s “Rockin’” finally shot to No. 1 on the Hot 100, spending three weeks at the apex of the chart, while Carey’s song led for two weeks that year, marking just the third holiday song ever to reach the top of the chart; the other one is “The Chipmunk Song” by the Chipmunks with David Seville, which spent four weeks at No. 1 in December 1958.
So in an era when dozens of new Christmas albums and songs flood the zone in search of classic standing, what explains the strength of Carey and Lee’s anthems? The rise of streaming and curated holiday playlists, as well as strong radio airplay and sales has helped both tracks become annual staples. It also helps that both singers have leaned into the virality of their hits, with Carey filming her popular “it’s time” teaser clips every year and Lee filming a music video for hers last year as well as joining TikTok to promote it.
No matter which one is your favorite, enjoy the season and keep rockin’ around the Christmas tree!
Watch Billboard Explains: Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee’s Battle for the Christmas Throne in the video above.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.
Sabrina Carpenter, fresh off the North American leg of her first-ever arena tour, is now accustomed to playing 20,000-seat concert halls. But at NPR’s offices in Washington, D.C., the short and sweet pop star finally found a venue that’s just her size. On a Monday in early December, Billboard was on hand to watch Carpenter […]