Music

Looking for the perfect gift for the country boy in your life? Look no further: Thomas Rhett recently shared a roundup of gift suggestions to make the holiday a special one for all the guys out there.

In a video post, TR explains that he got the idea after some of the ladies in his own life admitted they were stumped on what to buy their husbands, brothers, pals or dads for Christmas.

“This is kinda random, but over the last couple weeks I’ve had a bunch of [my wife] Lauren’s girlfriends reach out to me asking what they should get their husbands for Christmas, and what should we get the dads, the brothers, all the dudes in the family,” he explains.

In the spirit of the holidays, Thomas decided to share his suggestions with his fans, too, coming up with a list he calls his “gift guide for dudes.”

Outdoor wear features prominently on the singer’s gifting guide, with his favorite travel pack, gloves and socks all included on the list. A pocket knife and hooded rain jacket are also among TR’s picks, plus a canvas log carrier perfect for bringing in firewood during those cozy winter evenings.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a festive beverage, and Thomas’ choice is his very own Dos Primos tequila line, which is available to purchase online complete with free gift messaging.

The singer even compiled his gifting guide into a quick and easy shopping list. If you’re mystified by what to get the “dude” in your life for Christmas, you can shop Thomas’ guide now.

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Greta Van Fleet is gearing up for Battle once more.

Speaking with Consquence, drummer Danny Wagner reveals that the “Highway Tune” rockers are “wrapping [a new album] up as we speak.”

“It’s nearing completion, and we’re very excited about it,” Wagner adds of the upcoming record.

In regards to the effort’s direction, bassist Sam Kiszka reveals, “It’s conceptually going back to almost the days in the garage, with the raw energy of the sound.”

“But expanding on that because we’re the best musicians we’ve ever been,” he explains.

The next Greta Van Fleet album will mark the band’s third full-length studio release, following 2018’s Anthem of the Peaceful Army and 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate. The group’s spent much of 2022 touring behind Battle, though they had to postpone a number of shows due to a variety of health problems, including frontman Josh Kiszka‘s ruptured eardrum.

Meanwhile, Greta Van Fleet just opened for Metallica‘s acoustic Helping Hands benefit concert last Friday, and they’ll be opening select 2024 dates on the metal legends’ world stadium tour.

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Mariah Carey‘s holiday special, Merry Christmas to All!, airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. But People has a special preview of the show, which was recorded December 13 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, so you’ll know what to expect.

During the special, Mariah descended from the rafters on a snowflake throne and sang many traditional holiday hits, such as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” Of course, she also performed her number-one hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and none other than Billy Porter presented her with a plaque marking the song’s 12-times Platinum certification from the RIAA.

Porter isn’t the only guest you’ll see on Tuesday night, though: Mariah also welcomed Drew Barrymore, Jermaine Dupri, rap legend Slick Rick and the Radio City Rockettes to the stage.

Mariah’s 11-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan, were also part of the show, and Monroe even joined her mom for a duet on the song “Away In a Manger.”

And because this is Mariah we’re talking about, throughout the show she had assistants come out onstage to bring her bedazzled glasses of water and tea, and called her glam squad to come out and touch up her makeup.

But one surprising thing you’ll see Tuesday night is that Mariah doesn’t stick to the holiday hits: You’ll also see her perform classics like “Fantasy,” “Hero,” “Emotions,” “Heartbreaker,” “Make It Happen” and “Honey.”

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All! airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+ Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

In other Mariah news, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has now been number one for 10 weeks overall, making her the first female artist with three songs that have spent 10 weeks or more on top. The others were “One Sweet Day,” her collab with Boyz II Men that topped the chart for 16 weeks, and “We Belong Together,” which ruled for 14 weeks.

The only other artists to achieve this? Boyz II Men and Drake.

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Shinedown is one of the hardest-touring bands in the world, and to explain why, frontman Brent Smith turns to the poetry of Taylor Swift.

In a Instagram post, Smith reacts to the question “Why are you touring almost 200 days a year?” alongside a video of him mouthing along to the lyrics from Swift’s hit “Anti-Hero,” off her new album, Midnights.

“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” Smith-as-Swift sings while pointing at himself.

In the post’s caption, Shinedown teases, “Should we raise the touring bar even higher for 2023?” and invites followers to comment with their city suggestions.

Shinedown spent much of 2022 touring behind their new album, Plant Zero, which was released in July. The singles “Planet Zero” and “Daylight” both hit #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

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Dave Mason is spending some more time on the road next year. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced dates for his 2023 Endangered Species Tour.

“At 76 years of age, I’m still loving performing live concerts,” he shares on Instagram. “I feel grateful for that, and to tell you the truth it surprises the hell out of me. I’ve been doing it for over 60 years and the love is still there.” 

He adds, “I’m a ‘rare bird’, so to speak, sticking to the tour life and to music, and you’re invited to join me in 2023! No fireworks, no flashing lights, no go-go dancers, no special effects. Just great songs and a promise of a heart filled performance.”

The tour is set to kick off January 19 in Atlanta, Georgia, and wrap February 20 and 21 in Chicago, Illinois. Tickets are on sale now. 

Following the tour, fans can look forward to Mason’s previously announced memoir, Only You Know and I Know, which is due for release in May.

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Ava Max released the official artwork for her postponed Diamonds & Dancefloors album, which arrives January 27. The new album cover features Ava, who is wearing a diamond bikini, lying down on a shimmering surface.  The album was pushed back from its October release date after it leaked online.

Danielle and Kevin Jonas celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary. The oldest of the Jonas Brothers shared a picture montage of their big day soundtracked to Barbara Acklin‘s “Am I the Same Girl” and wrote, “13 years with my best friend feels like a blink of an eye! I love you @daniellejonas happy 13 year anniversary!!”

Is Adele really coming out with her own lingerie line? The Sun thinks so and reports the singer is also plotting a perfume, jewelry and clothing line under the trademark “1, 2, Free.” Apparently when filing to trademark the name under her firm Melted Stone, she listed items like “articles of underclothing,” as well as watches, luggage and more.

John Mayer thanked fans for making “You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me” his most-streamed song. He took to Instagram to share an acoustic performance of the 2017 single and shouted out his Indonesian fans for blowing up the song.

How much money does the Trans-Siberian Orchestra make around the holidays? Billboard says they make roughly $60 million within the seven weeks of their annual holiday blitz. At the end of November this year, TSO made $15.6 million after selling 223,000 tickets. Overall, they have sold more than 13.5 million tickets during their career, which amounts to $684.2 million in sales.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ava Max released the official artwork for her postponed Diamonds & Dancefloors album, which arrives January 27. The new album cover features Ava, who is wearing a diamond bikini, lying down on a shimmering surface.  The album was pushed back from its October release date after it leaked online.

Danielle and Kevin Jonas celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary. The oldest of the Jonas Brothers shared a picture montage of their anniversary celebration soundtracked to Barbara Acklin‘s “Am I the Same Girl” and wrote, “13 years with my best friend feels like a blink of an eye! I love you @daniellejonas happy 13 year anniversary!!”

Is Adele really coming out with her own lingerie line? The Sun thinks so and reports the singer is also plotting a perfume, jewelry and clothing line under the trademark “1, 2, Free.” Apparently when filing to trademark the name under her firm Melted Stone, she listed items like “articles of underclothing,” as well as watches, luggage and more.

John Mayer thanked fans for making “You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me” his most-streamed song. He took to Instagram to share an acoustic performance of the 2017 single and shouted out his Indonesian fans for blowing up the song.

How much money does the Trans-Siberian Orchestra make around the holidays? Billboard says they make roughly $60 million within the seven weeks of their annual holiday blitz. At the end of November this year, TSO made $15.6 million after selling 223,000 tickets. Overall, they have sold more than 13.5 million tickets during their career, which amounts to $684.2 million in sales.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(Note Language) Twitter is down one more follower, as Meek Mill is deactivating his account. The Philly native took to the platform Sunday to announce the news and explain the reason for his departure.

“Ima deactivate Twitter forever and go to a new social where it’s more good vibes based off building, creating and motivation,” he tweeted, per 2Cool2Blog. “Whoever run my sh** turn this off forever … ima takeover my YouTube account to replace me interacting with supports! Too many bots and weird people.”

Meek is the latest celebrity to exit Twitter, although it’s for different reasons than those who departed before him. Many, including Toni Braxton, Shonda Rhimes and Whoopi Goldberg, left the social media platform after Elon Musk was named its CEO.

In response to the backlash, Musk said he’d step down if the majority of Twitter users thought he should; 57.5% voted in favor of him leaving, while 42.5% voted against it.

With Twitter users looking for Musk to bow out of his latest role, Snoop Dogg is wondering whether he should be the one to replace the entrepreneur. The rapper tweeted a poll along with the question, “Should I run Twitter?” As of this story, 81% voted yes; the poll shuts down Monday night.

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Latto brought some holiday cheer to her hometown of Clayco, Georgia, over the weekend. The rapper and her Win Some Give Some Foundation hosted the second annual Christmas In Clayco event Sunday at the Carl Rhodenizer Recreation Center.

Dressed as Mrs. Claus, Latto reportedly donated gifts — including computers, tablets and bicycles — meals and essential items to 500 families in need, according to People. Her philanthropic efforts were awarded with the presentation of “Latto Day” on December 18 in Clayton County, Georgia, and the key to the city.

“I owe a lot of my success to Clayton County, so it feels really good to be here,” Latto said in a statement. “My old school Rex Mill (Middle School) is literally two minutes down the street and (as) we were driving past it, I was like, ‘Oh my God. Everything is coming full circle.’ I’m so blessed and happy to share my blessing.”

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