Christina Aguilera lit up the Eiffel Tower while filming her holiday special, and now, she’s ready to light up your TV screens this Christmas.

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As revealed Tuesday (Dec. 16), the vocalist will unveil Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris on Dec. 22 following a theatrical premiere earlier in the month, with the hour-long program premiering at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+. It celebrates the 25th anniversary of Aguilera’s My Kind of Christmas album, which reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200 in 2000.

A description reads that the special features “magical live performances from the City of Love” — filmed with a live orchestra above the Musée du Quai Branly with Paris’ most famous tower sparkling behind the singer — as well as a “look into Aguilera’s remarkable career.” There will also be “exquisite costume changes” and cameos from special guests Sheila E. and Yseult, with Xtina set to share her “thoughts on love, motherhood, reinvention and her career’s artistry.”

The news comes just a couple of days after Christmas in Paris premiered in theaters on Dec. 14. There will also be screenings on Dec. 21, before the film arrives on CBS and Paramount+.

In addition to the special, Aguilera recently dropped a corresponding live album featuring recordings of her performances in Paris. The set includes her takes on classics such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Christmas Song,” as well as renditions of her own hits “Genie in a Bottle” and “Lady Marmalade.”

“It was magical to revisit songs from My Kind of Christmas, and to perform other holiday favorites live for the first time,” Aguilera wrote of the endeavor on Instagram. “I loved channeling beloved films like ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ and ‘The Sound of Music’ against the dreamy backdrop of such a beautiful city. I can’t wait for you to see this in theaters, and to listen as you celebrate this holiday season. Let the Christmas magic begin.”

See a photo of Aguilera on the set of her Christmas in Paris special — which also serves as the cover of her new live album — below.

"Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris", airing Dec. 22, 2025 CBS Television Network and Paramount+.

“Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris”, airing Dec. 22, 2025 CBS Television Network and Paramount+.

Courtesy of CBS


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Heaven knows Donna Summer had a spectacular voice, but it’s less well known that she wrote or co-wrote most of her hits. On Monday (Dec. 15), Summer finally got her flowers as a songwriter, as she was inducted posthumously into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at an intimate ceremony in West Hollywood, Calif.

In a statement, Summer’s widower Bruce Sudano said, “It’s important to me because I know how important it was for Donna. The backstory is, with all the accolades that she received over her career, being respected as a songwriter was always the thing that she felt was overlooked. So, for her to be accepted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame I know that she’s very happy… somewhere.”

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Summer wrote or co-wrote nine of her 14 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She was the sole writer of “Dim All the Lights” and co-wrote eight others: “Love to Love You Baby,” “I Feel Love,” “Heaven Knows,” “Bad Girls,” “On the Radio,” “The Wanderer,” “She Works Hard for the Money” and “This Time I Know It’s for Real.”

Looking at all 32 of her Hot 100 hits, she wrote or co-wrote 18. But we want to know: Which of these hits that she wrote or co-wrote is your favorite? They are listed in chronological order:

AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys shares his journey of self-discovery and redefining himself outside the band with his new EP, Hi, My Name Is Alex. With his tracks “Arizona” and “Can’t Love You Anymore,” the project explores love, growth and life’s challenges. Also, Mel C (Sporty Spice) discusses her empowering new single “Sweat,” her upcoming album and reflects on the legacy of the Spice Girls as their iconic debut album Spice approaches its 30th anniversary. Plus, Mariah Carey celebrates another milestone as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” breaks a Billboard Hot 100 record, spending 20 weeks on the chart at No. 1. 

Mariah Carey: It’s amazing, honestly. It really is.

Xander Zellner: It’s a huge milestone.

Mel C: Well, this- this would be the place to give the exclusive now.

Xander Zellner: I had to ask, of course.

AJ McLean: Do I think Sphere would be a great fit for you ladies? Hell, yes.

Tetris Kelly: We got AJ from BSB, Mel C from the Spice Girls and Mariah Carey on today’s show. It’s a Millennial dream, but first, we have to run down the chart. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated Dec. 20. Still at 10 is Andy Williams. Kelly Clarkson is at her No. 9 best. Nat “King” Cole is up to eight. So that was numbers 10 through eight. But as you can see, I got a special guest hanging out with us today.

AJ McLean: Yep, yep.

Tetris Kelly: What’s up, AJ? How are you? 

AJ McLean: How are you, my friend? Always good to see you.

Tetris Kelly: Good to see you, man.

AJ McLean: Likewise.

Tetris Kelly: You’re celebrating a brand new release. We’re happy to have you here to talk about it. So-

AJ McLean: Yes. Thank you. Thank you.

Tetris Kelly: Hi, My Name Is Alex. I love that as a name for the EP. So why’d you decide to do that?

AJ McLean: So I’ve been on this kind of journey of self-discovery s- for the last … God, it started two summers ago. When we finished up the DNA World Tour in May of 2023, I got home and decided to go on a little retreat. A little mental health break. I went down-

Tetris Kelly: Everybody needs one.

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The holidays are never complete without iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball. The holiday music fest is a cultural staple, and now, it’s coming to you live in the comfort of your own home.

On Dec. 17, underneath the twinkle of stage lights, a slew of artists from the annual nationwide Jingle Ball tour will come together to perform in a jolly special sure to get you into the festive mood. The special, hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Elvis Duran, will feature musical acts from all different genres, from pop and K-pop to R&B and everything in between. Alex Warren, Audrey Hobert, Conan Gray, Ed Sheeran, Feid, Jessie Murph, The Kid LAROI, Laufey, Leon Thomas, MONSTA X, Myles Smith, Nelly, Olivia Dean, Ravyn Lenae, Reneé Rapp, Sean Paul and Zara Larsson are set to perform.

The special will last two hours, and gives viewers backstage access to the annual show, providing audiences a peek behind the curtain. Viewers will also be treated to special appearances by Robert De Niro, Chelsea Handler, Tiffany Haddish, Eli Manning, Oz Pearlman, the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, the Nader Sisters, Kat Dennings, Dylan Efron, Daniella Karagach, Leah Kateb, Freya Skye, Taylor Momsen, Melanie C, Darren Criss and many more.

If you’re excited about the holiday special but don’t know where to start, we’ll be showing you how you can tune in with ease. Keep reading to find out how.

How to Watch iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2025 Holiday Special

The musical holiday special will be airing Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. You can watch the special a plethora of ways, however, we recommend DirectTV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. If you don’t happen to catch the event live the day it airs, it will be available to stream the very next day on Hulu.

DIRECTV is a great option for those looking to stream the event. A standard subscription to DIRECTV, which gives you access to watch the special on ABC, will run you just $49.99 a month for the first month right now under the service’s ENTERTAINMENT plan. If you’re unsure about committing to a new subscription, you can simply try the service out for free for five days, which will give you plenty of time to watch the Jingle Ball special.

You’ll get access to live TV, local networks such as NBC, ABC and PBS, and you can also watch a slew of entertainment networks, including AMC, Bravo, E!, FX, FXX, Freeform, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and Paramount Network. That’s more than 90-plus channels that you can tap into.

iHeartRadio special is also available on Sling TV in select markets.

Sling TV is another live TV streaming option giving users the ability to access cable channels and on-demand content over the internet, making a cable subscription obsolete. To access the Jingle Ball special, you’ll need a Sling Blue subscription which is $50.99 a month. Depending on your needs, you can purchase temporary passes for a day ($4.99), weekend ($9.99), or week ($14.99) to watch the show and test out the service for a limited time. Sling Blue has more than 40-plus channels including, NBC, NFL Network, Bravo, CNN and FOX News.

Another option is a Hulu + Live TV subscription, given that BET is included in the live TV channel lineup. A subscription to the service (with ads) will cost approximately $82.99 per month, while the plan without ads goes for $95.99 per month.

This subscription gives you access to the titles in Hulu’s library, along with live TV programs 24/7. This is one of the more pricy plans on our list. However, the bundle is well worth the price because of the added Hulu titles. As previously mentioned, the special will be available the day after it airs live on Hulu, giving you double the access to the special if you have Hulu + Live TV.

She & Him, the indie-folk duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time this week, thanks to 2008 song “I Thought I Saw Your Face Today.”

Originally released on the pair’s debut album, Volume One, in March 2008, the track debuts at No. 99 on the chart (dated Dec. 20) with 5 million official U.S. streams in Dec. 5-11 — up 35% week-over-week — according to Luminate. The resurgence has been fueled by a viral TikTok trend in which users pair the wistful breakup ballad to sentimental clips from movies and TV shows, nature montages and sports highlight reels.

(Older songs showing meaningful gains can appear on the Hot 100 if in the chart’s top 50, with those without significant chart history eligible to debut at any rank, as considered individually.)

While She & Him never scored a major chart single during the duo’s late-2000s heyday, the pair became a cultural fixture thanks to its twee ballads and stripped-down covers of pop standards.

Volume One became the duo’s first chart entry when it debuted at No. 81 on the Billboard 200 in April 2008; it peaked at No. 71 the following week. The pair has since charted four additional projects: Volume Two (No. 6, 2010), A Very She & Him Christmas (No. 12, 2011), Volume Three (No. 15, 2013) and Classics (No. 41, 2014).

A Very She & Him Christmas, a collection of festive covers, has proven particularly durable, returning to Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart multiple times since its 2011 release.

Prior to this week, She & Him last appeared on Billboard’s charts in 2022 with Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson. The Beach Boys covers set reached No. 16 on Americana Folk/Albums and No. 21 on Top Album Sales.

Both Deschanel and M. Ward have solo chart histories outside of She & Him. Deschanel’s “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,” with Ingrid Michaelson, reached No. 20 on Adult Contemporary in 2021, and her featured appearance on Prince’s “Fallinlove2nite” hit No. 29 on Adult R&B Airplay in 2014. The latter appeared in an episode of New Girl, starring Deschanel, while Prince appeared in a guest role on the sitcom.

M. Ward has charted four albums on the Billboard 200: Post-War (No. 146, 2006), Hold Time (No. 31, 2009), A Wasteland Companion (No. 21, 2012) and More Rain (No. 128, 2016). He earned his first solo radio hit in 2020, when “Unreal City” reached No. 35 on Adult Alternative Airplay.

M. Ward was also a member of the folk supergroup Monsters of Folk alongside My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Bright Eyes’ Coner Oberst and Mike Mogis, and Will Johnson. The band’s only release, its self-titled set, reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 in 2009, while single “Say Please” peaked at No. 20 on Adult Alternative Airplay.


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Donna Summer is the latest songwriter to be inducted posthumously into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The unquestioned Queen of Disco, whose talent easily transcended that genre, was honored during an intimate ceremony held on Monday (Dec. 15) in The Butterfly Room at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood, Calif.

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Summer’s widower, Bruce Sudano, attended, as did their daughters Brooklyn Sudano and Amanda Sudano Ramirez; Summer’s close friends and immediate family; and members of the SHOF West Coast Events Committee. The event was cohosted by Mary Jo Mennella, a SHOF board member and chairman of SHOF’s West Coast committee, and SHOF board member Donna Caseine.

In a statement, Bruce Sudano said, “It’s important to me because I know how important it was for Donna. The backstory is, with all the accolades that she received over her career, being respected as a songwriter was always the thing that she felt was overlooked. So, for her to be accepted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame I know that she’s very happy … somewhere.”

Paul Williams, a 2001 SHOF inductee, led the induction, which celebrated Summer’s songwriting contributions and enduring musical legacy.

“Donna Summer is not only one of the defining voices and performers of the 20th century, she is one of the great songwriters of all time who changed the course of music,” Williams said in a statement. “She wrote timeless and transcendent songs that continue to captivate our souls and imaginations, inspiring the world to dance and, above all, feel love.”

Pictured (L to Right): Brooklyn Sudano, daughter of Donna Summer & Bruce Sudano; Bruce Sudano; Amanda Sudano Ramirez, daughter of Donna Summer & Bruce Sudano; and Paul Williams, SHOF Inductee & Johnny Mercer Award honoree.

Courtesy of Songwriters Hall of Fame

This is the fifth posthumous induction into the SHOF in less than two years, following Cindy Walker in May 2024, Prince in July 2024, Bert Berns in September 2025 and Hugo & Luigi on Dec. 9.

Summer wrote or cowrote nine of her 14 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She was the sole writer on “Dim All the Lights” and cowrote eight others: “Love to Love You Baby,” “I Feel Love,” “Heaven Knows,” “Bad Girls,” “On the Radio,” “The Wanderer,” “She Works Hard for the Money” and “This Time I Know It’s for Real.”

Summer died in May 2012 at age 63, so didn’t live to get her flowers, but they have arrived posthumously. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2024.

Summer rocketed to global superstardom in 1975 when her groundbreaking fusion of R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, disco and avant-garde electronica catapulted underground dance music from the clubs of Europe to the top of global sales and radio charts. “Love to Love You Baby,” a steamy song she cowrote with her legendary producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, soared to No. 2 on the Hot 100 in February 1976, paving the way for a string of hits throughout the ’70s and ’80s.

A five-time Grammy winner, Summer was the first female artist to receive Grammy Awards in four distinct genres: R&B (“Last Dance”), rock (“Hot Stuff”), inspirational (“He’s a Rebel” and “Forgive Me”) and dance (Carry On,” a collab with Moroder). She was the inaugural winner in two of those categories — best rock vocal performance, female and best dance recording.

Summer holds the record for the most consecutive double albums to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (three in a row) and was the first female artist to score four No.1 singles in a 12-month period: three solo and one duet with Barbra Streisand, the disco smash “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).”

Billboard didn’t yet have its Pop Star of the Year franchise in place in 1979, but there’s little doubt that Summer would have won it that year. She virtually owned that year, with three No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 (“Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls” and “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)”); a No. 1 album for six weeks on the Billboard 200 (Bad Girls); her first Grammy win (“Last Dance”); and a performance on the Oscar telecast of the best original song winner (also “Last Dance”).

Jimmy Webb, who wrote Summer’s first No. 1 Hot 100 hit, a remake of Richard Harris’ 1968 opus “MacArthur Park,” was inducted into the SHOF in 1986. But her collaborators on the eight top 10 hits that she cowrote have yet to receive the honor. They include Moroder and Bellotte on multiple hits; Michael Omartian on “She Works Hard for the Money” and Stock-Aitken-Waterman on “This Time I Know It’s for Real.”

While the annual SHOF gala in June rarely includes posthumous inductions, the organization has taken to hosting special posthumous inductions at unique venues and events. SHOF chairman Linda Moran likes to keep the mood at the main ceremony celebratory; these separate posthumous induction events help achieve that goal.

Another of the queens of disco, Gloria Gaynor, received the Kennedy Center Honors earlier this month. That ceremony will air on CBS on Dec. 23.


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Grupo Frontera joined Bad Bunny on Monday (Dec. 15) as a special guest at the Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City to perform the Tex-Mex cumbia “un x100to” together. The participation of the Mexican-American supergroup during the Puerto Rican superstar’s fourth show created a unique moment, blending regional Mexican music with reggaetón and Caribbean salsa for one night.

The group took to the main stage of the venue to the roar of 66,000 people, according to figures from Ocesa, who celebrated and captured the moment with their cell phones. The band, led by vocalist Adelaido “Payo” Solís III, became the second guest in Bad Bunny’s series of eight concerts in Mexico City, following Colombian artist Feid, who joined the second night of the tour on Dec. 11 from the alternate stage known as “La Casita.”

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“un x100to” made its way to the Mexican leg of the Debí Tirar Más Fotos tour on the same night Bad Bunny gifted his audience with an exclusive performance of “Where She Goes.” This successful romantic cumbia marks Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s second collaboration with regional Mexican artists, following the 2019 remix of the corrido “Soy el Diablo,” which he recorded with corridos tumbados star Natanael Cano.

The music video for his 2023 hit “un x100to, entered YouTube’s Billion Views Club in September, marking his 17th entry overall. Meanwhile, for Grupo Frontera, “un x100to” becomes the group’s second entry in the platform’s exclusive club.

Bad Bunny will perform the fifth concert of his tour on Dec. 16 at the Estadio GNP Seguros, a venue that, according to Ocesa, will bring together more than 520,000 people across the eight shows, with the remaining ones scheduled for Dec. 19, 20 and 21 all sold out.

The boricua star ranks as the third artist with the highest number of concerts at the legendary capital city stadium, formerly known as Foro Sol, trailing only Colombian superstar Shakira, who holds the record with 12 shows, and Mexican group Grupo Firme with nine concerts already performed.

The Debí Tirar Más Fotos tour began on Nov. 21 in the Dominican Republic and also made stops in Costa Rica. In 2026, it will continue in Chile, Peru, Argentina and Brazil before moving on to Asia and Europe.

In 2025, country music proved yet again that it is one of the most dynamic and emotionally resonant genres — and this year, many artists issued releases that pushed their artistry to new levels. From chart-topping hitmakers to rising newcomers, this year’s releases collectively reflected a reverence for country music’s traditional sounds, while also pushing past creative boundaries.

On 2025’s year-end Top Country Albums chart, Morgan Wallen dominated the top three spots, continuing his commercial and cultural dominance. 2025’s I’m the Problem reigns at the pinnacle, followed by his albums One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album. Meanwhile, this year has also seen artists like Zach Top, Megan Moroney, Riley Green and Treaty Oak Revival all reach new career highs, sharpening their artistic identities while creating albums that resonated across radio, streaming and/or live audiences.

The creators of the albums proliferating this year’s Billboard staff picks for the top country albums of 2025 range from individual established artists to newcomers and bands, with the uniting factor being that each project has revealed something new about the act and its journey. Some albums lean into out-of-the-box, story-driven project territory, while others offer up succinct observations of the world at large, with the selections spanning and merging country and other styles.

Billboard‘s picks for the top 10 country albums of 2025 are below (in descending order). Honorable mentions go to Dierks Bentley’s Broken Branches, Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay?, Margo Price’s Hard Headed Woman, Emily Ann Roberts’ Memory Lane and Tucker Wetmore’s What Not To.

Also, check out Billboard staffers’ picks for the top 10 country songs of 2025.


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The Killers, T-Pain, Dominic Fike, Janelle Monáe and Avery Anna will take the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on April 8 for the inaugural Freely Fest celebrating the power of music and the freedoms protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The event from Freedom Forum — a nonpartisan organization dedicated to “fostering First Amendment freedoms for all — will blend performances with the artist’s personal stories about the power of free expression and on-site interactive experiences highlighting the importance of our First Amendment freedoms.

“From Freedom Forum’s perspective, any day would be a great day to celebrate the power of music, how free expression is the First Amendment in action through artists and through audiences,” Freedom Forum chair and CEO Jan Neuharth tells Billboard about the inspiration for the event. “We approach our work [by] trying to bring First Amendment rights to people in a way that makes it feel relevant to them in their daily lives. We want to educate, but we don’t want to lecture, it’s not school, it’s helping people understand these right that maybe we take for granted.”

Neuharth also notes that Nashville was chosen for the show for a number of reasons, including its status as “Music City,” as well as being a creative hub for music and the home of legendary Nashville journalist John Seigenthaler, a civil rights activist and founding editorial director of USA Today, who established the Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center at city’s Vanderbilt University. Freedom Forum was established on July 4, 1991 by USA Today founder, and Jan Neuharth’s father, Al Neuharth, with a vision of fostering first Amendment freedoms for all Americans.

“When you listen to a song do you automatically think, ‘Oh, this is free speech and it’s protected by the First Amendment!’ Likely not as you compile your playlist,” Neuharth says, adding that the organization’s “Brought to You By the First Amendment” campaign is a reminder that what we read, sing, listen to and wear are all protected by the First Amendment.

“You’re not thinking about the First Amendment, and it’s so important that people do that and so all of our work is focused on trying to bring these freedoms to life,” she says, calling music “a universal language” that can bring people together to celebrate these freedoms that rely on all of us to stand up to protect. Freedom Forum has teamed with C3/Live Nation on the event, which Neuharth stresses is a “mission-driven” festival that at its core is all about having fun and celebrating the power of music.

In case you need a refresher, the First Amendment of the Constitution prevents Congress from making laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and the freedom to peaceably assemble, among other rights.

“The First Amendment is for everyone. The First Amendment is non-partisan, we’re non-partisan, Freely Festival is non-partisan, what we want to do is raise awareness that any artist has a right to write whatever music they want and speak in ways they want and fans have a right to listen or choose not to listen,” says Neuharth.

Tickets for the event go on sale on Thursday (Dec. 18) here.

It’s going to be difficult for one young Kendrick Lamar fan to stay humble after his recent show in Australia, where the rapper paused his set to sing “Happy Birthday” to her before gifting her something she wouldn’t trade for the world.

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In an interview with ABC News in Australia posted Sunday (Dec. 14), 9-year-old Kalina Fowler recalled how Lamar noticed her in the crowd at his headlining Canberra Spilt Milk festival slot the day prior. “I was yelling out, ‘It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday,’ and then Kendrick saw me yelling, so he stopped in the middle of the song,” she told the outlet. “It was the funnest time ever — my first ever concert.”

Videos from the night show how Dot singled out Fowler — who was watching the show from atop her grandfather’s shoulders — and told his crowd, “On the count of three, we’re gonna sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Kalina.”

The hip-hop star and thousands of fans proceeded to do just that as Fowler sobbed happy tears. Lamar then signed a pgLang hat and gifted it to the birthday girl, saying, “She was official from the start, but now she’s super-duper official.”

“People want my hat so bad, they tried to give money to me,” Fowler told ABC News of the present. “This hat is really priceless, so I’m going to keep it for the rest of my life. I won’t let nobody touch it.”

Lamar’s set at the Spilt Milk festival caps off an incredible year for the hitmaker, who headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show and won five Grammys on back-to-back weekends in February. Following his record-breaking Grand National Stadium Tour with SZA, he scored nine new Recording Academy nods — more than any other nominee — ahead of the 2026 ceremony and notched the second-highest hit on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 with “Luther.”

Watch Fowler’s unforgettable exchange with Lamar below.


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