Music

Every country has different Christmas traditions, but Zara Larsson says one of the most beloved traditions in her home country of Sweden involves something very American.

“Every Christmas [Eve] at 3 p.m., we have Donald Duck’s Christmas on TV and you just have to sit down and watch it,” she explains.

“Everybody’s watching it. I don’t know when it started. It’s been my whole childhood and everyone — everyone — just sits down, 3 p.m., you watch Donald Duck, then you have your dinner, and then you open your presents.”

In fact, the animated special, which is officially titled Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas, has been shown every Christmas on Swedish TV since 1960, and is watched by around 40% of the entire population. The show originally aired in the U.S. in 1958 on ABC, under the name From All of Us to All of You. However it was retitled for the Swedish market because Donald Duck is way more popular than Mickey Mouse in Sweden, for some reason.

But if Swedes celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve, what do they do on Christmas Day?

“So Christmas, like the 25th — that’s when everybody goes out clubbing!” Zara says.

Looking ahead to the end of December, Zara is one of the artists who’ll be performing on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026 with Ryan Seacrest, airing Dec. 31 on ABC.

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Oasis shocked the music world by announcing a reunion in August 2024. But with nearly a year between the initial announcement and the first show, the possibility lingered that the famously feuding Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher might call the whole thing off.

Luckily for those who were able to get through the queues and actually snag a ticket to the highly in-demand shows, Liam and Noel proved that they’d indeed buried the hatchet upon launching the tour in the U.K. on July 4.

The tour then made its way into the U.S., making stops at Chicago’s Soldier Field, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, before making its way to Asia, Australia and South America. The set list stayed constant throughout the trek and focused mostly on Oasis’ beloved first two albums, 1994’s Definitely Maybe and 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Alongside the Gallagher brothers, the Oasis live lineup included guitarists Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs and Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell and drummer Joe Waronker. Arthurs dropped off of select dates due to receiving treatment for prostate cancer.

Throughout the tour, Oasis released live recordings from the shows, capturing performances of the songs “Wonderwall,” “Bring It on Down,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Little By Little” and “Slide Away.” Additionally, a film documenting the tour was announced, as well as a photo book.

As for what’s next for Oasis, that remains unknown. Liam appeared to tease plans for future shows when he declared “See you next year” during a show at London’s Wembley Stadium, but later clarified that they “need to sit down and discuss these things.”

Upon concluding the tour in November, Oasis released a statement reading, “There will now be a pause for a period of reflection.”

We’ll see if Oasis plans to keep the tour going beyond 2025, but in a world where Liam and Noel Gallagher peacefully shared the stage for every scheduled show, it seems that anything is possible.

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Attending the annual Pentatonix holiday tour is a Christmas tradition for many families, and listening to the group’s Christmas songs is also a part of many a fan’s celebration. But you may be surprised to learn that members of Pentatonix don’t celebrate Christmas together as a group. In fact, they do the opposite.

“We always make a joke that we leave each other alone for Christmas,” laughs Pentatonix member Kirstin Maldonado. But it’s true: after the tour, she and her four bandmates go their separate ways.

“I think, just, like, the Christmas tour in general is our tradition, because it feels like we’re at camp,” she explains. “And we do it every year and every stop that we go to is so festive because it’s a Christmas show.”

But since the Christmas tour starts in early November and ends right before Christmas, it forces Kirstin to do some of her own traditions with her 3-year-old daughter Elliana Hausdorff super-early — like putting up the tree, for example.”

“It was already up before Halloween,” she laughs, adding, “We were so busy right before we left [for the tour], so I wanted the tradition of decorating the tree to be something [I do] with her.”

But the tour has also kept Kirstin from participating in a cherished childhood tradition with Elliana.

“I would love to do a whole baking thing with her because it was such a part of my childhood, like making cookies for Santa, and we did a little like birthday cake for Jesus,” she notes. 

“But honestly, by the time I’ve gotten home, I’m so tired and need to wrap all the presents,” she adds. “But I definitely do [want to], as she’s getting older and can be more helpful in the kitchen … add that to our list [of activities].” 

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“It’s Christmas time again/ Can’t wait to hear those sleigh bells ringing,” sings Ashanti on her 2003 holiday song “Christmas Time Again.” With the holiday falling on Thursday, her husband, Nelly, says the couple is simply looking forward to spending time together, noting that they don’t really have any “new holiday traditions.”

“I just think for me and her, we work so much,” he tells ABC Audio. “The tradition is really just being together and keeping our family together around the holidays, I think is the mainstay for both of us.” 

The couple, who have been married since 2023 and share a son, Kareem “KK” Kenkaide Haynes, were together in St. Louis on Monday, where Nelly partnered with Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers to gift 100 brand-new bikes to kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis. The children were also treated to holiday cookies, drinks, Santa hats and festive fun.

“I think that’s every kid’s dream on Christmas, right?” Nelly said in an interview with Fox 2. “Waking up and going downstairs—I know what it’s like to wake up on Christmas and have nothing under the tree. That’s not hyperbole. That’s facts. To see their faces, that’s what it’s about. Christmas is about the kids.”

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Critics and fans are at odds about Sleep Token across the pond.

The masked outfit’s breakout album, Even in Arcadia, has been certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry, the U.K. version of the RIAA. The milestone recognizes 100,000 certified units.

Even in Arcadia previously debuted at #1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart following its release in May.

While those numbers clearly suggest there are a lot of Sleep Token fans in the U.K., The Guardian music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas is not one of them. In an episode of the publication’s Today in Focus podcast, Beaumont-Thomas named Even in Arcadia among 2025’s worst music releases.

“It’s some of the most profoundly turgid music ever made with some of the worst lyrics ever,” Beaumont-Thomas says.

Beaumont-Thomas cites lyrics including “I’ve got eyelids heavy enough to break diamonds” from the Even in Arcadia opener “Look to Windward” and “Are you the guardian angel hacking into my brain cells?” from the cut “Past Self.” 

“The band kinda sounds like Maroon 5 if they all had, like, an iron deficiency,” Beaumont-Thomas says. “It’s fascinatingly terrible music.”

Sleep Token’s also experienced a similar commercial success versus critical stature battle in the U.S. — Even in Arcadia debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, though Pitchfork panned it as “Benson Boone with a Spirit Halloween gift card.”

However, the Even in Arcadia single “Caramel” was named one of the best songs of 2025 by New York Times critic Jon Caramanica.

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Jill Scott has had her share of hardships, some of which have cost her lots of money. While on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, she said those tough times helped make her the person she is today. “It’s like all the lessons that you get, all the things that deter you are really the impetus for your greatness,” she said. “These things are character building. And you learn as you go.”

“Nobody’s perfect. And I’m divorced twice. Like, there’s no way that I’ve had a perfect existence,” Scott continued. “I’ve lost more money than people have ever made or ever will multiple times.”

Ice Spice says she and Latto had no real problems with each other, though speculation suggested otherwise. She revealed that on Watch What Happens Live! when asked how she and Latto squashed their beef. “It wasn’t a real beef to begin with, to be honest,” Spice said, noting the video shoot for their song “Gyatt” was fun. “It was like, everybody was just joking around the whole time, to the point where, like, I remember my manager was like, ‘Can y’all wrap it up? Hurry up.’ It was really fun. Shoutout to Latto.”

Billy Porter is giving fans an update after he was forced to back out of Broadway’s Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in September due to a case of sepsis. “Some of you may or may not know that I was in the hospital very ill this fall with urosepsis. It was not easy. It’s been a very, very challenging four months. And I want everybody to know that I am on the road to a full recovery. I’m not there yet, but I’m on the road to that,” he shares on Instagram, thanking all those who sent him love and prayers. In the caption, he wrote, “She’s ALIVE!!! Proof of life, PTL!!!”

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Elton John is feeling grateful at the continued success of his holiday track “Step Into Christmas.”

It was recently announced that the song, originally released way back in 1973, had been certified platinum in the U.S. and four-times platinum in the U.K. and now Elton has shared his thoughts on the feat in a new post on Instagram.

Posing next to a picture of his platinum plaques, Elton wrote, “A special Christmas present to me! Step Into Christmas has gone platinum in the US and 4× platinum in the UK.”

“To think a song released over 50 years ago is still part of so many people’s festivities (and even sat in the UK Top 10 again this year!) is very special,” he added. “Thank you to everyone who keeps stepping into Christmas, year after year!”

“Step Into Christmas” has re-entered Billboard‘s Holiday Airplay chart every year over the past decade and has returned to the U.K. singles chart every year since 2011. Last year, a new video was created for the song, starring Cara Delevingne as Elton.

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Taylor Swift‘s father Scott Swift underwent quintuple bypass surgery earlier this year. Now, in his honor, Taylor has made a $1 million donation to the American Heart Association

The charity acknowledged Taylor’s “generous gift” on its Instagram page, adding, “We remain “Fearless” in our relentless commitment to prevent heart disease and stroke. Every donation we receive is an honor.” 

In a statement, AHA CEO Nancy Brown said, “Taylor has long been associated with the symbol of heart hands. At the American Heart Association, we proudly use that same gesture to honor all who have been affected.”

She added, “My hope is that together we can raise our collective heart hands and drive meaningful change against this disease, shaping a healthier future for generations to come.”

During her August appearance on her fiancé Travis Kelce‘s New Heights podcast, Taylor spoke about her dad’s recovery from “really intense” surgery, which was done after several blockages were discovered via a stress test. 

“He wakes up from surgery, and it’s my mom, my brother, and me and his best friend. He did like a comedy act, a comedy set for 15 minutes,” Taylor recalled. “He was the funniest he’s ever been, and he’s usually really funny.”

“And it was kind of wild because it was like, very parent-child reversal in a lot of ways. My brother and my mom and I were each taking shifts in the ICU and staying with him 24/7,” Taylor continued. Then, she said her family “moved in” with Scott for the summer to take care of him during his recuperation.

“He was like the loveliest patient ever,” she said. “He just kept saying thank you over and over again.”

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Soundgarden has shared a tribute to late director Rob Reiner while reflecting on their connection to his film This Is Spinal Tap.

The beloved mockumentary was about a fictional band called Spinal Tap, which went on tour for real in 1984 after the film came out earlier that year. The tour concluded in Soundgarden’s hometown of Seattle, where the Tap left behind a giant skull that they’d been traveling with.

“Pearl Jam‘s Jeff Ament accessed the prop, repaired it, and provided it to Soundgarden for their show at the Seattle Bumbershoot Festival of 1990!” Soundgarden shares in an Instagram post.

The post also includes an excerpt from Reiner’s book A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap, in which actor Michael McKean, who plays Tap frontman David St. Hubbins, claims that “Spinal Tap invented grunge” by leaving the skull behind in Seattle.

“Did Spinal Tap invent grunge?” Soundgarden writes. “Well, Rob Reiner did warm our hearts and make us laugh with his stories and characters. Their charm, wit and insight certainly gave inspiration to the genre and to generations that followed.”

Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested for murder.

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Coldplay may have had the highest-grossing tour of 2025 overall, but when broken down by genre, Kendrick Lamar and SZA claimed the #1 spot in rap.

Billboard released its list of the top 10 tours from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025, based on Boxscore data. K.Dot and SZA’s Grand National Tour grossed $369 million worldwide across 42 shows, which spanned Europe, North America and South America.

Tyler, The Creator followed closely behind with the second-highest-grossing rap tour: His Chromakopia World Tour, during which he also filmed Marty Supreme, earned $174.5 million. The trek included 98 shows across the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Oceania and Asia, and sold a total of 1.3 million tickets.

Rounding out the top three was Nelly. His Where The Party At Tour brought in $44.9 million from 51 shows held across Australia, Europe and North America.

Other outings featured in the top 10 include $uicideboy$’s Grey Day Tour, Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus Tour, Wu-Tang Clan’s The Final Chamber, NBA YoungBoy’s Make America Slime Again Tour, Don Toliver’s Psycho Tour, Rod Wave’s Last Lap Tour and The Redemption Experience, and Central Cee’s Can’t Rush Greatness World Tour.

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