In late 2015, Ariana Grande‘s seemingly frictionless ascendance to all-consuming pop superstardom had finally hit a tiny bit of turbulence. “Donutgate” and other small-scale controversies had put her in the media’s crossfire for the first time, while “Focus” — the planned lead single off her upcoming third album, then to be titled Moonlight — had disappointed commercially and left fans a little cold. It was nothing she couldn’t and wouldn’t bounce back from, but in the meantime, she dropped a surprise release to celebrate the holiday season, and give both her sound and her career a little bit of a reset: the six-song EP Christmas & Chill.

On this week’s Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staff writer and longtime Arianator Kyle Denis to look back at 10 years of Christmas & Chill. We remember the Ariana Grande holiday releases that preceded it — including a song that’s already well on its way to being an all-time seasonal standard — and then dive into why Chill has come to hold a particularly special place in the hearts of fans and of Grande herself, as well as how it ended up predicting a lot of the places she would go in her later secular releases.

While doing so, we address all the most pressing questions around Grande’s Christmas & Chill — how did an EP with no self-consciously big songs on it end up playing such a big part in her career? What are our favorite songs on the EP? How did she get away with a ukulele song in 2015? Do we care about the difference between the “Naughty” and nice versions of “Santa Tell Me”? Why has Grande never made much of an effort to actively revisit or repromote any of her holiday releases? And perhaps most importantly: Is there a world in which Grande eventually ends up being Mariah Carey’s successor as the Queen of Christmas?

Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of Ariana’s most relevant holiday music moments, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!

Also check out Kyle’s 2025 Year in R&B review, as well as his recent Druski cover story.

And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:

Transgender Law Center

Trans Lifeline

Destination Tomorrow

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

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.

For Sports fans, Christmas has become a wonderful time of the year. Not only do we get NFL games now on the holiday, but we also get the most exicting basketball games of the 2025-26 NBA season. Every year, Dec. 25 has become a tentpole mid-season event for the league turning the merry holiday into a playoff-like atmosphere.

This Christmas, the game lineup is stacked with marquee matchups with the league’s best superstars playing against divisional rivals and top-seed playoff contenders. From Klay Thompson heading back to the Bay to face Steph Curry and his old Golden State Warriors team, to LeBron James going head-to-head with Kevin Durant, to the New York Knicks going to battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers to see who are the top dogs of the Eastern Conference, there’s so many great storylines you don’t want to miss out on.

Whether you’re home, visiting family or making snow angels outside, we’ve compiled every way you can tune into the 2025 NBA Christmas Day games online and for free.

Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks (12 p.m.)

The Christmas Day lineup starts off with a bang featuring one of the most anticipated matchups between the recently NBA Cup-winning New York Knicks and their biggest Eastern Conference threat, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a surging Knicks squad playing host to a young and hungry Cavs team trying to live up to expectations, this game is a must-see after opening Christmas gifts.

The Knicks vs. Cavs game kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 2: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 p.m.)

Another exciting, marquee matchup takes place at 2:30 p.m ET between western conference heavyweights, the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. After ending OKC’s dominating win streak and heading to the NBA Cup Finals, the Spurs have the momentum heading into Christmas. However, the defending NBA Champs, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have proven to be the top dogs of the league this year. Whoever wins will set the tempo going into the second half of the season.

The Knicks vs. Cavs game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 3: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors (5 p.m.)

Klay Thompson is heading home to take on Steph Curry and his former Warriors squad for the third game of the day. Joining Kay is rookie Cooper Flag and Anthony Davis, but taking down Golden State with Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler is no easy task.

The Mavs vs. Warriors game takes place at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 4: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m.)

LeBron and Durant may be the OGs in the league now, but both are still the most exciting acts on the court. Add in Luka Doncic for the Lakers and Amen Thompson alongside Alperen Şengünm for the Rockets, these two icons facing-off is a must-see during Christmas.

The Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers game starts at 8 p.m. on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m.)

For the final game of the night, the NBA will give fans a rematch of a tremendous playoff series from two years ago between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Tipping off in Colorado, MVP front runner, Nikola Jokic, will aim to get his revenge on Anthony Edwards.

The Timberwolves vs. Nuggets starts at 8 p.m. on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

How to Watch the 2025 NBA Christmas Day Games Without Cable

The 2025 NBA Christmas Day Games will air across ABC and ESPN while streaming on DirecTV, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Don’t have cable? Here’s everything you need to know on how to stream NBA games online for free.

DirecTV

You can watch ESPN and ABC online for free on DirecTV, which is offering a 5-day free trial for new users who sign up for one of the four packages. DirecTV lets you watch live television online and its channel packages include a live feed of ESPN and ABC.

Besides access to hundreds of live TV channels, you’ll also receive unlimited DVR storage, local channels and the ability to stream on as many devices as you want.

Fubo TV

FuboTV is another affordable live TV streamer as it comes with a five-day free trial for new users who sign up. The streaming service has three different plans, including a new skinny bundle called “Sports + News” that starts at only $45.99 for the first month ($55.99 per month afterwards). In addition, Fubo has $30 off their Pro and Elite plans for the first month right now, which includes more than 300 channels, as well as 1,000 hours of free DVR and the option to stream on 10 devices at once.

Sling TV

Sling TV is offering new half off off their first month with any of its three packages. You can choose from: the Orange, Blue or Orange + Blue. However, ABC is only offered on the Blue package, but you can watch simulcasted games on ESPN3 (which is only offered on Sling’s Orange package). Rather than choose between the two, you can combine the two with the Orange + Blue package, which will give you access to more than 50 channels, DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to three devices.

Hulu + Live TV

A subscription to Hulu + Live TV gets you more than 95 live TV channels, such as ABC, to watch live sports, TV series and specials whenever you want. You also get access to the entire Hulu on-demand library (including select ABC content available to watch the day after it airs).

Right now, the streamer is offering three months of service for $64.99 per month. Once the promotion is over, a regular subscription starts for $82.99 per month.

For even more content options, Hulu + Live TV includes a subscription both Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which will give you access to more sports coverage and ESPN exclusive content.

Sabrina Carpenter is treating fans to a surprise gift on Christmas Eve.

On Wednesday (Dec. 24), the 26-year-old pop star released Man’s Best Friend (Bonus Track Version) on streaming services, featuring the previously shared track “Such a Funny Way.”

“To thank you for such a beautiful year …and to supply whoever needs a cathartic christmas crashout song… Man’s best friend bonus track edition with one of my favorites ‘Such a Funny Way’ is now officially available on streaming,” Carpenter wrote on Instagram. “I love you guys so much. Thank you for caring for these songs the way i do and for such a special 2025!! I feel lucky to know there’s still so much good to come x.”

Along with the bonus track edition, Carpenter also released a lyric video for “Such a Funny Way” on YouTube.

Carpenter originally dropped her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, on Aug. 29. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in September, giving the pop star her second chart-topping release following 2024’s Short n’ Sweet.

“Such a Funny Way” was previously available for digital download with the Man’s Best Friend album for $7.99. Prior to that, it was exclusive to the vinyl deluxe edition of the album. Around the time, the Grammy winner shared the inspiration behind “Such a Funny Way” during an interview on Apple Music 1 with Zane Lowe.

“I interpret humor, obviously, in a light way, but it’s also used to cover something and it’s used to definitely cope with things and not always in the best way,” she said. “I’ve had trouble in relationships before because people have been like, ‘Be serious.’”

The singer continued, “So much of the time it feels maybe less mean or hurtful or spiteful to be able to just laugh about it, and that’s a good thing sometimes and sometimes it’s a bad thing. So yeah, that one isn’t on the original version of the album, but it ends the album with the lyrics, ‘So funny that I have to laugh just so I don’t cry.’”

Check out Carpenter’s Christmas Eve Instagram post here, and watch the “Such a Funny Way” lyric video here.

Heavy metal fans in South Carolina were disappointed to discover that the Lamb of God concert they expected was actually a performance about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Ticket reseller StubHub apologized on Monday (Dec. 22) after accidentally listing the Virginia-based rock band instead of Christian musician Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God, a concert featuring music about the stories of Christ, held at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium on Dec. 20.

In the days leading up to Peterson’s show, the StubHub listing featured a photo of Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe and listed the concert as a top-trending event at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, according to CBS affiliate WSPA in Spartanburg. Lamb of God isn’t scheduled to perform in South Carolina until March 2026, and the group has no other dates in the state.

After realizing the error, StubHub apologized for the confusion and offered refunds for anyone who purchased tickets to the show.

“We acknowledge the listing for the December 20 event at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium was misleading and apologize for the confusion this caused,” a StubHub spokesperson said. “Ahead of the show we updated the event page and reached out to customers to clarify the event details. Anyone who purchased tickets under the impression this was a different performance is encouraged to contact us — we’ll honor a full refund under our FanProtect Guarantee.”

Lamb of God’s Blythe took notice of the mistake and joked about it on his Instagram Story, reposting several news reports about the mix-up. “Oopsie,” the rocker wrote over one story, while commenting “Merry Christmas, Spartanburg” on another.

Natalia Lafourcade is in for a joyful holiday season. The Mexican singer-songwriter announced that she has become a mother at the age of 41, just in time for Christmas. The multi-award-winning artist reappeared on social media on Tuesday night (Dec. 23) to share the news of her firstborn’s arrival with a series of snapshots and an emotional message welcoming him.

“Times of waiting and finally dying to be reborn as a mother. Thank you, life, for giving me so much!” Lafourcade wrote. “Finally, the ray of light that entered the deepest part of my being to bring life and the most beautiful garden of flowers. Little Popcorn, my precious boy. At 41, in his 41.3 week. ¡Viva la vida! And happy holidays.”

Details like the date of the birth or the name of the baby weren’t provided.

In the series of photos accompanying her message, there’s one where she appears bare-chested while breastfeeding her newborn, alongside her partner and the baby’s father, Mexican-Venezuelan filmmaker Juan Pablo López-Fonseca, with whom she shares both a professional and personal relationship.

“Here I am with my mom right after she gave birth, the first thing I did when I came into this world was breastfeed. My first day on this earth. My parents love taking pictures of me,” reads a handwritten caption on the sweet photo. The rest of the carousel captures moments leading up to her son’s arrival, with images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, flowers, paintings, and the final days of her pregnancy.

After a few months off the stage, the Grammy and Latin Grammy-winner will resume her international Cancionera Tour 2026 on May 15 in Bogota, Colombia, before continuing through Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Ecuador. The trek will also take her to several cities in the U.S. and Canada starting in April.

The tour takes its name from her latest LP, CANCIONERA, which won three Latin Grammy Awards in November. The set will now compete at the 2026 Grammys in the best Latin pop album category.