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Talkshoplive

It’s gift-shopping season, and Walker Hayes has the perfect products for the cozy or outdoorsy people in your life.
The country singer chatted with Billboard’s executive editor of West Coast and Nashville, Melinda Newman, on talkshoplive, an online livestream shopping platform, where he showed off products from his Duck Buck Co. brand. The line of activewear and loungewear features trucker hats, t-shirts, leggings, sweats and much more — all featuring the quirky half-duck, half-buck logo that Hayes drew himself.

“I’m a doodler, I wouldn’t call myself an artist but I’m constantly drawing,” he shared during the livestream. “It’s therapeutic to me. We had to draw a picture for each song back when NFTs were a thing. Each song needed an NFT following ‘Fancy Like,’ so for the song ‘Country Stuff,’ I drew this duck buck. And my team — nobody asked questions, they were like ‘That’s your logo.’”

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He added that the inspiration while designing clothing were items “that are comfy, that I know I’m going to look good in.”

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Since it’s the holiday season, Hayes discussed his fun, festive spin on his Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Fancy Like.” The track, “Fancy Like Christmas,” in which he switches up the lyrics to the chorus and sings, “Fancy like Christmas ’round a fake tree/ Nutcracker on the mantle and a candy cane candle/ Get your eggnog, with your fruit cake/ Go Jesus, it’s your birthday!”

“I honestly think the lyrics to the Christmas version are better,” Hayes admitted, adding with a laugh, “When we dropped ‘Fancy Like Christmas,’ the response was so amazing and continues to be, that I did start think, ‘I mean, do we need a Halloween version? Does this song need to take over holidays?’ Is it the next ‘Happy Birthday?’”

Watch the entire livestream and shop Walker Hayes’ Duck Buck Co. brand here.

Eladio Carrión has taken a heartfelt turn with his latest album Sol María, a deeply personal homage to the most important woman in his life — his mother.
“I want to make the world know who my mom is because she deserves it and she’s the best mom in the world,” Carrión tells Billboard Español in a new interview on TalkShopLive, where he also revealed exclusive merch for his fans to shop.

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“It’s different from the albums I usually drop, [which are] usually urban, like 80% trap, and maybe a few dancehall and reggaetón [songs],” he points out. “But with this one, I went more commercial, not worrying about getting songs to pop up in the club; doing what I wanted to do and getting my mother her flowers.”

Carrión spent an entire day at his parents’ house searching for the perfect photo for the artwork and found a picture of a young Sol María, his mother. “When I saw that pic, it just spoke to me,” he reveals. This week, the album debuts at No. 6 on Top Latin Albums and No. 3 on Latin Rhythm Albums.

The album’s uplifting sentiment echoes throughout all 17 songs, a reflection of Carrión’s current state of happiness. “It was a challenge to get in that [head] space. But it wasn’t that hard either, because right now life is good. I’m in a very happy place in my life,” he says. “I didn’t think about anyone else except her, but it’s cool because my fans get to experience it. I could have just made a mixtape and given it to her, and just kept on putting out the albums I usually put out.”

His positive outlook is palpable in tracks like opener “Bendecido,” where the 29-year-old manages to blend gratefulness with his signature sense of cool, or with the gut-wrenching ballad “Mama’s Boy,” featuring Spanish wordsmith Nach. In the latter song, Carrión delves into a well of raw, candid emotion that transcends mere words. “It was the intro [track] but I didn’t want people bawling out in the first song,” he reveals with a chuckle.

The idea for Sol María emerged about a year ago. Carrión had initially planned to take a break from music until 2025, but felt compelled to create something special for his mother. “I wanted to give her something to look forward to, something to be happy about,” he says.

Carrión chose the Afrobeats-laden “TQMQA” as the first single to prepare his hardcore trap fans for the album’s different style, while still maintaining elements familiar to his audience. 

On “Sonrisa,” Carrión weaves a narrative about a captivating smile that leaves him utterly smitten, set against an invigorating Jersey club and dembow mix. “Sigo Enamorau’,” featuring Yandel, reinvents Sean Paul and Sasha’s “dutty rock” classic “I’m Still In Love With You,” and he turns up the vibe on “Todo Lit,” merging more raucous lyrics with a subdued trap beat alongside featured guest Duki. “I wanted to keep it more Latino,” he added about the collaborations, pointing out that his last album, 3MEN2 KBRN, had mostly brought American rappers as guests. Panamanian star Sech, Puerto Rican trailblazers Arcángel and De La Ghetto, and Rauw Alejandro also make appearances.

Reflecting on the journey from his first album, 2020’s Sauce Boyz to Sol María, the US-born star recognizes the growth and synergy in his team. “We’ve gotten better and better. Me and my producers, we understand each other better and better every day,” he boasts.

Watch the full Billboard TalkShop Live interview above.

‘Tis the season of giving, and Jared Leto is making holiday shopping easier with his livestream to wrap up Billboard Live Shopping Week with talkshoplive, launching tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman will be featuring new merch […]

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Priscilla Block is ready to share some signed merch and limited-edition bundles during Day 5 of Billboard Live Shopping Week with […]

Akon is in the midst of his Superfan Tour, and he’s giving back to his Day 1 supporters during an exciting Day 4 livestream for Billboard Live Shopping Week with talkshoplive, tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The “Smack That” singer will be showing off some exciting merch releases, including T-shirts, hoodies and even a surprise signed […]

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Sammy Wilk is gearing up to head out on tour in support of his pals Jack & Jack, but before he […]