Watch Kelly Clarkson Send a Holiday Kiss-Off With ‘Merry Christmas Baby’

Kelly Clarkson delved into her own Christmas songbook on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday (Dec. 14) with a performance of “Merry Christmas Baby.”

Dressed in a sparkling gray gown, the pop singer powered through the opening track of her new holiday album, When Christmas Comes Around…, which she co-wrote with Aben Eubanks.

“You’ll wake up all alone and/ Wonder why I’m not home/ And I’ll let my phone ring/ A dose of your kind of love and/ I’ll let my absence show you/ What I got you for Christmas/ Is losing me/ Merry Christmas, baby,” she belted on the chorus while flanked by a trio of back-up singers and her talk show’s house band, Y’all.

The track is just one of five original Christmas tracks penned by the American Idol champ on the new LP, including lead single “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You),” “Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know),” Chris Stapleton collab “Glow” and Ariana Grande-assisted bop “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me.” The studio set also features holiday classics such as “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “Santa Baby,” “Last Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock.”

To promote her second Christmas record, Clarkson even nabbed her own holiday special, Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Comes Around…, which premiered on NBC earlier this month.

Other “Kellyoke” numbers The Voice coach has nailed to open her eponymous show range from her 2021 cut “Christmas Come Early” and beloved 2003 single “The Trouble With Love Is” to covers of Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven,” The Chicks’ “There’s Your Trouble” and Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good.”

Check out Clarkson’s gorgeous live rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” below.

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Every Time BTS Has Set a Guinness World Record

With the help of their ARMY, BTS are known for their record-breaking achievements, including on Billboard‘s very own charts.

The guys are regulars in the Guinness Book of World Records, including member V’s recent double achievement as the fastest to reach both 1 million and 10 million followers on Instagram when he launched his individual account on Dec. 6.

Below, find the full list of BTS’ Guinness World Record achievements.

First K-pop group to reach No. 1 on Billboard 200 

BTS released their third studio album, Love Yourself: Tear, on May 18, 2018. The album debuted in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 in the week ending May 24 and appearing on the list dated June 2. With the release of Love Yourself: Tear, the group earned the highest sales ever for a K-pop group, with the album becoming the first foreign-language release since 2006 to top the chart and the first world music album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

First K-pop act to lead the Billboard Artist 100 chart 

Following the release of Love Yourself: Tear, BTS skyrocketed to the top of the Artist 100 — a feat that would later hint at how big the group would become in the United States.

First K-pop group to earn a top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100

“Fake Love” was released as the lead single from Love Yourself: Tear, and the track debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 2, 2018 (the highest placement for a K-pop artist since Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which debuted at No. 12), making them the first K-pop group to reach the top 10 of the chart. Their highest entry before “Fake Love” was on Dec. 16, 2017, with  when “MIC Drop,” featuring Desiigner, debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 28.

Most weeks at No. 1 for Billboard‘s Social 50 chart

BTS became the first act in the Social 50‘s nearly decadelong history to lead in the No. 1 spot for 200 weeks. The K-pop group first entered and topped the chart on July 29, 2017, and have yet to leave.

Most weeks for a K-pop group on the Billboard Hot 100

BTS broke another record previously held by Psy’s “Gangnam Style” with the release of their 2020 single “Dynamite.” The track spent a total of 32 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart until April 2021 and spent three weeks in the No. 1 position.

Most weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Digital Singles chart 

“Butter” recently spent 18 weeks in the No. 1 position on the Digital Singles chart, tying their own single “Dynamite” for most weeks on the chart. As of Dec. 13, 2021, BTS now has the most cumulative weeks at No. on the chart, beating out Taylor Swift.

Most streamed act on Spotify (group)

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, BTS is currently the most streamed group on Spotify of all time with over 16.3 billion streams, a title previously held by their “My Universe” collaborators, Coldplay (16.1 billion streams).

Most streamed track on Spotify in 24 hours 

Shortly after the release of “Butter,” BTS’ ARMY streamed the song on Spotify 20.9 million times by May 23 times within its first 24 hours of being live on the app. Though this record appears in the 2022 Guinness World Record book (published Sept. 14, 2021), Adele recently snagged the title from BTS when she dropped her 30 lead single, “Easy on Me,” on Oct. 15, beating them with 24 million stream in the first 24 hours of its release.

Most Twitter engagements (retweets) for any account and most Twitter engagements for a group

Given how devoted BTS ARMY is on social media, it’s no surprise that the group earned the Guinness World Record title for the most Twitter engagements for any account and most engagements for a group — in 2019, the group had an average of 422,228 retweets on the social media app.

Fastest to 1 million followers on TikTok

BTS joined TikTok on Sept. 25, 2019, to promote their single “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey, and quickly shattered the app’s record for having the quickest time to reach 1 million followers. The group secured the benchmark number in just three hours and 31 minutes of being live.

@bts_official_bighit

#BTS #방탄소년단 #포즈셔터#슈가랑뷔 #진이랑정국이랑알엠 #홉이랑지민 #하트하트

♬ Boy With Luv – BTS

Most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube

“Butter” broke several records on YouTube — ahead of the video’s premiere, 3.9 million users were waiting to watch it, a figure that also earned the group the title for the most viewers for the premiere of any video on the website.

Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group

The music video for “Butter” would earn a whopping 108,200,000 views within the first 24 hours of its release. The group previously held the title in August 2020 with the official video for “Dynamite.” With this figure, “Butter” would also become the most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours.

Most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours

BTS secured this title on August 22, 2020, with the release of their music video for  “Dynamite,” which amassed 101,100,000 views.

Most viewers for a music concert livestream on a bespoke platform

As livestream concerts became a staple in 2020 due to the pandemic, BTS did the virtual concert Bang Bang Con: The Live, with 756,000 fans across 107 countries tuning in to watch the show. With this concert, BTS also secured the Guinness World Record title for the most tickets sold for a livestreamed concert (current year).

Most “daesang” (“grand prize”) awards won at the Mnet Asian Music Awards

As of 2020, BTS has won a total of 13 Daesang awards (South Korea) at the Mnet Asian Music Awards between 2016 and 2020.

Most Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards won by a music group

At the 34th annual Kids’ Choice Awards on March 13, BTS tied Fifth Harmony with a total of five Kids’ Choice Awards. BTS earned their first Kids’ Choice Award in 2018 for favorite global music star and added wins for favorite music group in 2020 and 2021. BTS additionally won favorite global music star a second time and favorite song.

Best-selling album in South Korea

According to Guinness World Records, BTS sold approximately 4,440,800 units of their album Map of the Soul: 7, earning the K-pop group the record title for best-selling album in their home country as of March 2021.

Highest earnings for a K-pop band

Forbes estimated that BTS earned $50 million in 2020, a number that was significantly boosted by their reported $170 million in touring revenue. The estimate placed the group at No. 47 on the magazine’s list of highest-earning celebrities for the year.

Most followed group on Instagram

In April 2021, BTS secured the title for the most followers for a group on Instagram — at the time, the group had 40,220,226 followers, which has now jumped to over 57 million as of December 2021.

Bonus: Fastest to reach both 1 and 10 million followers on Instagram (V)

All seven members of BTS debuted solo Instagram accounts on Dec. 6, but V amassed the most followers in the shortest amount of time. Guinness World Records announced that it took a mere 43 minutes for him to reach 1 million followers on the platform, with the figure jumping to 10 million in just four hours and 52 minutes.

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Britney Spears Teases ‘New Addition to the Family’ With Sam Asghari

Britney Spears and her fiancé Sam Asghari teased they had a “new addition to the family” Tuesday (Dec. 14), but the superstar is keeping her fans guessing as to what exactly that means.

She posted an Instagram video of herself cradling something in front of her magnificent Christmas tree and feeding it milk from a baby bottle while “Look at the Sky” by OsMan plays in the background.

“New addition to the family guess if it’s a boy or a girl,” she captioned the clip. “Thank you again baby @samasghari !!!!” Her fiancé Asghari commented a series of speechless-looking emojis, which defined how the rest of her fans felt in the comments section.

“Baby, one more time???” one IG user wrote, referencing her 1998 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit. Last month, the 39-year-old pop superstar revealed she was “thinking about having another baby” when she posted a black-and-white photo of a baby standing on their tiptoes. She and Asghari joked about having a little girl together in late September when he captured the singer holding a baby doll to form a matching mother-daughter duo. “Exclusive! We had a baby,” he captioned one of the videos on his IG Story with crying-laughing emojis. “What should we name her?”

Spears already has two sons — Sean, 16, and Jayden, 15 — with ex-husband Kevin Federline. But in June, during a hearing to address her now-terminated court-ordered conservatorship, she told Judge Brenda Penny that the team in charge of her situation wouldn’t allow her to have another baby like she wanted.

“I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby. I have an IUD inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant,” Spears said during her emotional testimony. “I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have anymore children. So basically, this conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good.”

See her latest video below.

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Kelly Clarkson Begs ‘Christmas Come Early’ for Festive New Performance

Christmas couldn’t feel farther away for Kelly Clarkson, who performed her own hopeful holiday song “Christmas Come Early” on Monday’s (Dec. 13) Kelly Clarkson Show.

Joined by her band Y’all, the Emmy-winning daytime talk-show host sang earnestly about needing the holiday season to come sooner and bring joy to the world when it needs it most, pleading, “Christmas, won’t you please come early this year?” in front of a makeshift white Christmas trees.

“Christmas Come Early” is featured on Clarkson’s second holiday album, When Christmas Comes Around…, which was released on Oct. 15 via Atlantic Records. The album, which features star-studded collaborations with her fellow The Voice coach Ariana Grande, Chris Stapleton and Brett Eldredge, went No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Holiday Albums chart.

Watch her Kellyoke performance of “Christmas Come Early” below.

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Sam Cooke’s Music Still ‘Sends’ Grammy Voters, Decades After His Death

Sam Cooke died 57 years ago, on Dec. 11, 1964, but his music remains timeless. And it figures in four 2022 Grammy nominations.

Leslie Odom Jr. has two nominations for his work on One Night in Miami…, the film for which he received two Oscar nominations (best supporting actor and best original song) earlier this year.

Odom is Grammy-nominated for best compilation soundtrack for visual media, alongside compilation producer Nicholai Baxter and music supervisor Randall Poster. He is also nominated for best song written for visual media for “Speak Now,” alongside his co-writer Sam Ashworth.

BJ the Chicago Kid, PJ Morton & Kenyon Dixon featuring Charlie Bereal are nominated for best traditional R&B performance for “Bring It on Home to Me.” Cooke received his first Grammy nod 59 years ago for his original version of the song, which was nominated for best rhythm & blues recording.

Tehillah Alphonso is nominated for best arrangement, instruments and vocals for a new recording of Cooke’s classic “A Change Is Gonna Come,” performed by Tonality & Alexander Lloyd Blake. Cooke’s original was released as the B-side (!) of “Shake,” which received a 1965 nod for best rhythm & blues recording.

Cooke never won a Grammy. Two factors help explain that (though of course they don’t excuse it). His biggest hit, the silky “You Send Me,” was released in 1957, the year before the Grammys were launched. And he died in December 1964, when he was still very active – and before the Grammys fully embraced contemporary R&B. If he had lived, he might well have picked up some overdue Grammys, in the same way such contemporaries as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson did.

Cooke received four Grammy nominations in his lifetime and two posthumously. He was nominated four times for best rhythm & blues recording (for “Bring It On Home to Me,” “Frankie and Johnny,” “Good Times” and “Shake”) and twice for best rock & roll recording (for “Twistin’ the Night Away” and “Another Saturday Night.”

In recent decades, Cooke has been saluted several times by the Recording Academy. He received a lifetime achievement award in 1999. Four of his classics have been voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. “You Send Me” was inducted in 1998, followed by “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 2000, “(What a) Wonderful World” in 2014 and “Bring It on Home to Me” in 2018.

The documentary Sam Cooke: Legend won the 2003 Grammy for best long form music video (since renamed best music film).

Cooke has received many other awards. He was one of the inaugural inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. (He was inducted by Herb Alpert, who co-wrote “(What a) Wonderful World with Cooke and Lou Adler). He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and received that organization’s Towering Song Award for “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 2013.

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Music Executives Remember Mexican Icon Vicente Fernández: ‘The Hearts of the Industry Are Heavy’

A mass for Vicente Fernández was televised Monday (Dec. 13) live from his Los 3 Potrillos ranch in Guadalajara featuring a beautiful tribute by his family and longtime mariachi, as well as fans chanting his songs and bidding their final goodbyes.

While colleagues and family members gathered in person to honor the life of “El Rey de la Ranchera,” others, including key industry figures, who weren’t in attendance shared what it was like working closely with Fernández and about the significance of his legacy. In an official statement given to Billboard, Pepe Garza, programming director at L.A.’s Que Buena 105.5/94.3 FM station and founder of Premios de la Radio, said: “Whenever you listen to a Vicente Fernández song, it’s going back to that time when you were happy. That, to me, is the most important thing about his repertoire and what he represented.”

The latest edition of Premios de la Radio in November featured a grand tribute to Fernández with special performances by Grupo Firme, Natalia Jiménez and Leonardo Aguilar. The vibrant set featured a medley of some of his most iconic songs such as “Por Tu Maldito Amor,” “Hermoso Cariño,” Volver Volver” and “El Rey.”

Fernández, who has blessed Latino households for generations with hits such as “La Ley del Monte,” “Mujeres Divinas” and “Amor de Los Dos” died at the age of 81 at a hospital in Guadalajara on Sunday morning due to complications following surgery for a cervical spine injury after a serious fall last August.

On the Billboard charts, “Chente” — how he was known to fans — holds the record for the most entries on Hot Latin Songs for a regional Mexican solo act, with 61 songs. He also holds the record for the most No. 1s for a regional Mexican solo act on the Regional Mexican Albums chart, with a total of 17, and the record for the most top 10s on Regional Mexican Albums, with a total of 49.

Mexican songwriter Martín Urieta — also president of the consejo directivo at Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México — who wrote more than 20 songs for Fernández, including the ranchera anthem “Acá Entre Nos,” posted a heartfelt tribute to remember his colleague and friend.

“Friends, we are dismayed about the passing of our adored Vicente Fernández,” Urieta said in a video. “The last giant of ranchera interpreters. As of now, he is now part of the angelical chorus that sings to God.”

Below, see how Garza, Huppe and other industry leaders remember Fernández:

“It has been a true honor to work with you all these years. Thank you for everything, my beloved Chente! We will continue to enjoy your divine art, but we’re already missing you. Sending a big hug to your beautiful family that we love so much. Rest in peace.” — Afo Verde, chairman and CEO for Sony Music Latin Iberia

“With heavy hearts, we bid adiós to Regional Mexican legend and cultural icon Vicente ‘Chente’ Fernández. For more than 60 years, the singer, producer and actor brought the musical traditions of his beloved country to audiences worldwide through his amazing performances and his gifted voice, which featured impressive operatic power and range. Known as ‘El Rey de la Música Ranchera,’ Fernández, whose discography comprises more than 100 albums, won multiple Latin GRAMMYs and GRAMMYs throughout his career. In 2002, he was recognized as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. ​ A man of hard work, Fernández was true to his word. Even after formally retiring in 2016, he continued performing and making music. In a 2002 interview with The Latin Recording Academy, when asked if he would ever retire, he proudly declared that ‘as long as my physical voice and faculties are intact, I’ll be there.’ And so, in 2019, he took the stage at the 20th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards for an unforgettable first-time-ever performance with his son, Alejandro Fernández, and grandson, Alex​ Fernández. Making music to the very end, he released what would be his final album, ‘A Mis 80’s,’ which just won a Latin GRAMMY under the category Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album and is currently nominated for the 64th GRAMMY Awards under the category of Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano).  At The Latin Recording Academy and the Recording Academy, we celebrate the life and career of Don Vicente Fernández and pay homage to his legacy. We offer our gratitude for his vast contributions to Latin music and our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans.” — Manuel Abud, ​CEO The Latin Recording Academy and Harvey Mason jr. CEO, Recording Academy

“The last giant of ranchera interpreters. As of now, he is now part of the angelical chorus that sings to God. Rest in peace and our condolences to all his family.” — Martín Urueta, Mexican songwriter & consejo directivo at Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México (SACM). 

“Our Mexican brothers and his followers around the world mourn his goodbye. It is a very deep loss for the entertainment world, as he is an idol and icon of Mexican ranchera music. At times like this, we make a call for artists who have been in the industry for years or who are about to start, remember his legacy to keep alive and give future to traditional genres and topics like his,” — Mauricio Mendoza, Head of Content and Industry Relations, Deezer 

“The hearts of the music industry are heavy today with the passing of a true icon, legendary performer and recording artist Vicente Fernández. He was a force for joy, inviting the world into the rich history of traditional Mexican sounds. His commanding presence helped broaden a genre of music that will thrive for generations to come.” — Michael Huppe, president & CEO, SoundExchange

“Vicente Fernández has a significant importance for the pueblo, for the people of Mexico and even for many others throughout Latin America. Mexicans have a very recent past or fond memories of life on a ranch. Our grandparents or great grandparents lived in rural communities and Vicente’s music transports us to those moments, those memories, to our parents and grandparents, and that’s the most important thing we have, especially if you’re a Mexican living in the United States. Whenever you listen to a Vicente Fernández song, it’s going back to that time when you were happy. That, to me, is the most important thing about his repertoire and what he represented. As a musician, as a singer and someone who had great success with all his albums, he had the virtue of having a great team that was there to suggest a catalog of songs that is very valuable. Songs that will forever live in our hearts.” — Pepe Garza, programming director at L.A.’s Que Buena 105.5/94.3 FM station and founder of Premios de la Radio

“His immense voice will always have the key to Mexico’s spirit. The radiant ‘Charro de Huentitán will shine in our hearts. Rest in peace. We’ll miss you. Sending a hug hug to his family, friends and his fans. We will never stop applauding.” — Roberto Cantoral Z., general director at Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México (SACM).

“Don Vicente Fernández, the greatest among greats. You left us and we’ll remember you forever with great fondness and admiration. Thank you for becoming the great artist that would sing in Mexico and around the world as no one had done before. You loved your country and your fans like no one else had. A great friend, companion, and colleague of other artists. You are a legend that was able to have a goodbye concert where you always wanted, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, that was free so all your pueblo could be with you one last time. You were always grateful, giving your all to your fans and you corresponded with them with the same support they always gave you throughout your career. Querido Vicente, we will remember you forever with lots of love, admiration, and respect. Thank you for so much, my beloved Chente.” — Roberto Lopez, president of Sony Mexico

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These Studio Pros Each Have Three 2022 Grammy Nods in a Marquee Category

This year, three studio pros each have three Grammy nominations in a marquee category: record or album of the year.

Manny Marroquin has three album of the year nods as an engineer/mixer on Jon Batiste’s We Are, H.E.R.’s Back of My Mind and Lil Nas X’s Montero.

Serban Ghenea and John Hanes each have three record of the year nods as engineer/mixers on Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” and the Doja Cat/SZA collab “Kiss Me More.”

Remarkably, this is the second time that Ghenea and Hanes have had three record of the year nominations in one year. And the last time they did it, in 2015, there were just five nominees in the category. (There are 10 this year.) Ghenea and Hanes were nominated that year as engineer/mixers on the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars collab “Uptown Funk!” (which won), Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.”

In recent years, we’ve seen several cases where studio professionals have received three nominations in marquee categories in the same year. This has gotten easier to accomplish since 2018, when the number of nominees in each of the Big Four categories (album, record and song of the year, plus best new artist) jumped from five to eight. The number jumped from eight to 10 this year. But note that several of these cases pre-date the expansion in 2015.

Working backwards, here are some prime examples of people with three nominations for record or album of the year in the same year. (No songwriter has ever had three song of the year nominations in one year.)

2020: Emily Lazar received three album of the year nominations as the sole mastering engineer of Coldplay’s Everyday Life and HAIM’s Women in Music Pt. III and one of two mastering engineers on Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 3. (She teamed with Chris Allgood on Collier’s album.) Note: There were eight nominees in the category.

2018: Mike Bozzi received three record of the year nominations as the sole mastering engineer of Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” (which won), Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s “All the Stars” and the Post Malone/21 Savage collab “Rockstar.” Note: There were eight nominees in the category.

2015: Tom Coyne received three record of the year nominations as the sole mastering engineer of the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars collab “Uptown Funk!” (which won), Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” Note: These are the same three records on which Ghenea and Hanes were credited as engineer/mixers, as noted above. There were just five nominees in the category. Coyne died in April 2017 at age 62.

2014: Andrew Coleman received three album of the year nominations as an engineer/mixer of Beyoncé’s Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran’s X and Pharrell Williams’ GIRL.

2006: Rick Rubin received three album of the year nominations as the sole producer of Dixie Chicks’ Taking the Long Way and Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium and as one of five producers of Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds. (His co-producers on the latter album were Timberlake, Nate (Danja) Hills, Jawbreakers and Timbaland.)

Producers have received nominations for their contributions to album and record of the year contenders since 1965 – the eighth year of the Grammy Awards. Engineer/mixers and mastering engineers were added to the ranks of nominees more recently. Engineer/mixers became eligible for album and record of the year nods in 1998. Mastering engineers became eligible for album nods in 2001 and for record nods in 2012.

The first producers to win for record of the year were A&M Records co-founders Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss, who co-produced Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’ sleek instrumental “A Taste of Honey.” The first producer to win for album of the year was Sonny Burke, who produced Frank Sinatra’s reflective September of My Years.

The first engineer/mixers to win for record of the year were Simon Franglen, Humberto Gatica and David Gleeson, who worked on Celine Dion’s film megahit “My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic).” The first engineer/mixers to win for album of the year were Commissioner Gordon, Matt Howe, Storm Jefferson, Ken Johnston, Tony Prendatt, Warren Riker, Chris Theis & Johnny Wydrycz, who worked on Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the first hip-hop album to win for album of the year.

The first mastering engineer to win for record of the year was William Bowden, who did the honors on Gotye featuring Kimbra’s quirky alt-pop smash “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The first mastering engineer to win for album of the year was Gavin Lurssen, who worked on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, a rare bluegrass blockbuster.

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Exclusive Backstage Photos From iHeartRadio’s Z100 Jingle Ball 2021

See Lil Nas X, Saweetie, Tai Verdes and more backstage at iHeartRadio’s Z100 Jingle Ball 2021 at Madison Square Garden on December 10, 2021.

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Fans Choose MONSTA X’s ‘The Dreaming’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

MONSTA X‘s new album has topped this week’s fan-voted new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll that was published Friday (Dec. 10) on Billboard, choosing The Dreaming as their favorite new music release of the past week.

MONSTA X’s The Dreaming, the K-pop group’s second English-language album, brought in an overwhelming majority of the vote, at 86.72%. The K-pop group’s new record was released the same week as their feature film Monsta X: The Dreaming, an inside look at the six-piece’s journey over the past six years.

In second place on the poll results was Fighting Demons, Juice WRLD‘s second posthumous release, which had 11.53% of the vote. Suga from BTS guests on the track “Girl of Your Dreams,” and Polo G, Trippie Redd and Justin Bieber also make appearances on the late rapper’s album.

“He left behind an astonishingly deep catalog of music that will ensure his fans will have new songs to listen to for years to come,” Juice WRLD’s mother wrote in a statement surrounding the album’s release, nothing that her son “was always searingly honest about his struggles, and through his musical genius he articulated what was on his heart and mind vividly through his art.”

Check out the final results of this week’s favorite new music release poll below.

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2021 MAMAs: BTS Cleans Up, Aespa Debuts and NCT Dream, Itzy & Wanna One Deliver

The Mnet Asian Music Awards have come and gone for another year, and while one of the most prestigious music award shows in South Korea is always chock-full of exciting performances and plenty of idol worship, this latest event felt truly special. After the 2020 ceremony featured no live audience at all, it was obvious to all involved that the 2021 staging had to be bigger and more fantastic than ever… and thankfully, the show was everything it should have been.

BTS wrapped the evening as the biggest winners, as they claimed all four Daesangs — artist of the year, worldwide icon of the year, song of the year (for “Butter”) and album of the year (for Be) — as well as just as may other prizes, bringing their total claim to eight awards. IU came in second place with three trophies, while both Twice and Aespa ended up with a pair of honors.

More than 20 performances from many of the brightest stars in the South Korean music industry (and Ed Sheeran) made the four-and-a-half hour-long ceremony exciting and kept it moving. These segments ended up filling much more airtime than people actually accepting awards, and that made it a thrilling viewing for fans all around the world.

These were the eight best moments from the 2021 MAMAs.

The Opening Number: ‘Bloom the Sound’

Producers ensured the program kicked off with a bang thanks to the opening number, “Bloom The Sound,” a stop-and-start demonstration that highlighted the talents of some of the most beloved members of chart-topping bands. Featuring performers from Enhypen, Aespa, Stray Kids, Ateez, Itzy and Tomorrow X Together, the bit was intense and impossible to look away from, and those in the crowd loved it when the lights came on and they all got to see which idol was on stage.

The Animation!

Throughout the dozen-plus musical performances scattered throughout the night, a number of groups employed a neat visual trick which allowed computer animation to weave seamlessly into their show. Aespa was preceded on stage by a terrifying and considerably real-looking black mamba, while Jannabi used it to make the entire stadium twinkle like it was filled with fireflies. The special effect was well-executed, and it made the entire ceremony feel magical.

Brave Girls’ Teary Acceptance Speech

After a recording hiatus of several years, Brave Girls mounted a surprising and massive comeback in 2020 and 2021, and they were once again invited to the MAMAs. After making their singles “Chi Mat Ba Ram” and “Rollin’” feel Christmas-y (but somehow still summer-ready), the group finally won a trophy, a decade after they were first nominated. While accepting the KTO breakout artist award, the members were emotional, with one even crying during her time on stage.

Street Fighter Woman‘s Incredible Moves

In a night filled with excellent dancing and incredible choreography, nobody had the moves quite like the contestants from Mnet’s own dance survival program Street Woman Fighter. The talented artists hit the notes harder and pushed their bodies further than anyone else, and that’s saying a lot, because so many of the groups who took to the stage nailed it in this department.

Aespa’s MAMAs Debut

2021 was a breakout year for Aespa, and they made their presence at the latest MAMAs known. Nominated for five awards, the quartet’s Karina took part in the opening number, and that was to be just the beginning. They went on to snag a pair of prizes, with the audience going wild any time their name was called. Toward the end of the ceremony, the four women took to the main stage to perform their global smashes “Next Level” and “Savage,” and the production did not disappoint. From the inclusion of their own avatars to the sometimes-scary special effects to their general kick-ass attitude, it’s clear that in their first year at the show as a band, Aespa had finally arrived.

Wanna One’s Comeback

Two years ago, the members of Wanna One all went their separate ways, with the group disbanding after a short but highly successful run of EPs and albums. Ahead of the 2021 MAMAs, it was announced that most of the original performers from the band were to reunite for a one-off performance of some of their biggest hits, and immediately their showing became one of the most highly-anticipated segments of the evening. For a while, there were worries that this might not happen due to some COVID-19 fears, but all ended up going well, and the boy band nailed it.

Wanna One proved that while they may be returning to their solo ventures after this one show, they still rank as one of the best groups of the past several years.

NCT Dream’s Hot-Hot-Hot Show

Three of the NCT-branded groups performed at the 2021 MAMAs, and while both NCT 127 and NCT U put on an excellent show, NCT Dream’s “Hot Sauce” featured one of the most elaborate and expensive stages of the night. The boy band started, appropriately, with “Hello Future” before jumping into “Hot Sauce,” and the group made sure everything from their moves to the set design matched the tune. After singing inside a giant bottle of hot sauce, with flame-themed outfits and embers appearing on screen thanks to some clever animation, the members emerged from said structure and continued the show to thunderous applause.

Itzy Mixes Violence With Sex Appeal

One of the longest performances of the night, Itzy’s segment included a staged intro, Squid Game star Heo Sung-tae, violence, sex appeal and seemingly everything in between. The girl group topped off an incredible year by showcasing their hit singles “Loco” and “In the Morning,” and their performance saw them don black leather outfits while their backup dancers wore cat masks, swung on stripper poles and even staged shooting and killing a man in front of everyone. The theatrical performance was next-level, and it proved that Itzy is doing it like so few in the business.

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