Music

Many fans have given or received Josh Groban‘s holiday album Noël as a Christmas gift, but as a kid, he says he had to work hard to get his parents to finally agree to get him his dream Christmas present.

“I lobbied for about four years for a drum set,” Josh said Wednesday on Live with Kelly & Ryan.  Josh explained that it was a “big ask from Santa” because it’s such a noisy gift — but he was so determined to get it that he actually wrote an essay explaining why he should receive it.

“I wrote an essay [to Santa]…single spaced…about how every drum has its own story, every cymbal told a story, and how I would treasure it every day, and finally, I got the drum set,” Josh says.  His neighbors were even cool with him practicing an hour a day.

“It changed my life,” Josh said of his drum set, which he played for 20 years before finally donating it to his old music school this year. Today, as a global star, he plays drums in his show, and he notes, “Whenever I play them in an arena or something, I think back to that kid.”

“Any parent who’s thinking of a gift…they’re not sure what they wanna get their kids — you can never go wrong with an instrument,” Josh advises. “Because you never know when that light bulb’s gonna go off and they’re gonna figure it out.”

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Luke Bryan’s household is at it again, with their annual tradition of the 12 Days of Pranksmas ramping up like never before.

The holiday tradition finds Luke, his wife Caroline, his mom LeClaire and the rest of the family taking turns pulling pranks on each other during the holiday season. No one — not even the kids — is safe during Pranksmas, as evidenced by a hilarious new compilation video the singer’s wife shared on Wednesday.

“Hope these add a little razzle dazzle to your day!” wrote Caroline, alongside a montage of some of the most epic pranks that have been pulled so far. The country superstar himself shakes a port-a-potty (while it’s in use!), and wishes his wife a gloating “Happy Pranksmas!” after he pulls a prank on her during a ski trip.

This year, Pranksmas is getting an extra boost, as Caroline launched a contest in partnership for her Best Bad Influence clothing line. Fans are invited to submit their best pranks, and the Bryan family will choose the 10 best. Winners will receive a $200 Visa gift card.

The deadline to submit a prank is this Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. Five winners will be announced on December 23, and five more on December 24.

 

 

 

 

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Mariah Carey has finally given a much-needed makeover to the weird-looking Christmas ornament that famously annoyed her last year.

The ornament — which was supposed to look like Mariah but most certainly did not — hit Mariah’s radar after a fan showed off the sketchy new decoration on Twitter. The singer hilariously replied, “This is… Not approved” and gently added, “But it’s the thought that counts.”

Now, fans can finally hang an authorized Mariah Christmas ornament on their Christmas tree.  Sharing a side-by-side comparison of the knockoff versus the real deal, the “Fantasy” singer declared on Twitter, “Fixed it!”  

The new Mariah-approved ornament, which depicts cartoon Mariah dressed in a sexy Santa outfit, retails for $19.99 and is available at Target, along with the singer’s entire line of Christmas goodies, such as wrapping paper, Christmas stockings and more.  The items are also available on Mariah’s official online store.

Fixed it! pic.twitter.com/8RTzDJfEM9

— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) December 21, 2021

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Two months after being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Jay-Z is boasting that no one can match him in a Verzuz battle.

Hova made the statement when he joined a Twitter Spaces conversation with Alicia Keys Tuesday as she was promoting her new album, simply titled, KEYS.

When the subject of Verzuz was brought up, the “Run This Town” rapper immediately let it be known he has no competition.

“Ain’t nobody that can stand on that stage with me,” Jigga said. “I ain’t gonna lie, no disrespect. Everyone’s amazing, they’ve done what they’ve done. No one can stand on that stage with me. I’m just telling you guys the real. There’s not a shot.”

“There’s not a chance in hell that anyone can stand on that stage for I don’t know how long it is? Two hours? Two hours…That’s ain’t gonna never happen,” he continued. “Let’s move on from Verzuz and move on to this Keys album.”

The Roc Nation founder has won ten Grammys, and he received three nominations last month to become the most-nominated artist ever, with 83 nods. He’s up for Album of the Year as a featured artist on Kanye West‘s Donda, plus he has two nominations for Best Rap Song: “Jail” with West,” and “Bath Salts” with Nas and the late DMX.

It was also announced Tuesday that Jay’s “Guns Go Bang” with Kid Cudi, from They Harder They Fall, is on the shortlist of songs under consideration for an Academy Award Best Original Song nomination.

Jay-Z on never doing a #VERZUZ battle “There’s not a chance anyone can stand on that stage with me” on @TwitterSpaces w/@aliciakeys @Genius @RobMarkman @Kozza @sc pic.twitter.com/Wh6IEdZfKQ

— 🎄jordan (@JustJordan_925) December 22, 2021

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The 44th annual Kennedy Center Honors special airs tonight on CBS, and the show features star-studded tributes to Joni Mitchell, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Bette Midler, as well as Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and opera baritone Justino Diaz.

You’ll hear Adele narrating the tribute video honoring Bette, while presenters for Bette’s segment include Melissa Manchester and actresses Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson and Barbara Hershey. Stars performing the songs Bette made famous include Billy Porter, Kelli O’Hara and Beanie Feldstein, singing, respectively. Among the tunes they performed are “From a Distance,””Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Friends.”

Ellie Goulding, Norah Jones and Brandi Carlile are among the artists who you’ll see sing in honor of Joni Mitchell, while Paul Simon sings the classic Simon & Garfunkel tune “America” in tribute to his pal Lorne Michaels.

Smokey Robinson will be seen as both a performer and a presenter during the tribute to Berry Gordy. In addition, Andra Day will sing “Glod Bless the Child,” and Stevie Wonder will close the show with a medley of his hits, including “My Cherie Amour,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “Superstition.”

The event took place on December 5 in Washington, D.C.

The Kennedy Center Honors special airs at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on CBS.

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Dierks Bentley found a new meaning for his 2003 hit “What Was I Thinkin’” this week, when he tried to simultaneously bike down a snowy hill and film it — resulting in a pretty epic tumble.

Never one to mind a laugh at his own expense, the singer posted the footage to social media despite the fact that it didn’t turn out how he was hoping. The clip starts with stunning views of Dierks’ downhill ride, but soon, the camera — and the cameraman — roll off the bike and into the snow below.

Fortunately, Dierks went down laughing.“ That’s what you get for trying to film and bike at the same time,” he said good-naturedly, pointing the camera at his face.

It’s a good thing Dierks didn’t hurt himself during the fall, especially because he’s got a gig coming up next week. He’s headed to Nashville to perform at the city’s annual New Year’s Eve concert, which this year will be broadcast as a CBS special.

The singer’s also gearing up to release new music. If you’re in his fan club, you can check out the studio version of one of his new songs, called “Tell ‘Em Right Now,” which he dropped as a fan-exclusive track earlier this week.

 

 

 

 

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When Andrew Watt was growing up, he predicted he’d end up working with Eddie Vedder. He just didn’t know it then.

Speaking with Billboard, the producer/guitarist shares that he would go to Pearl Jam shows when he was younger while holding a sign reading, “Let me play the guitar solo to ‘Alive.'” Flash forward to the year 2021, and Watt is indeed playing alongside Vedder in his solo backing band, The Earthlings.

“It’s just an actual full-circle, unbelievable moment that I feel like I’ve been ready for my whole life,” Watt says. “It’s not supposed to happen like that — you’re not supposed to have those posters on your wall and be in the position where you’re creating with those people.”

In addition to playing in his live band, Watt is also producing Vedder’s upcoming solo album, Earthling, due out February 11, 2022.

“I’m so excited for everyone to hear it,” Watt says of the record. “We’re just finishing up the mixes and stuff, and I’m just really excited.”

He adds, “I don’t want to say too much besides, just to hear his voice in front of me, and get to play guitar and bass under that? It’s like a celebration.”

Vedder and The Earthlings will launch a U.S. tour in February 2022. The collective also features Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, and singer-songwriter and Once star Glen Hansard.

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Cardi B rapped “I was born to flex…big fat checks” in her 2018 hit “Money.” Now, the Diamond-certified star is literally putting her money where her mouth is: She presented her husband Offset with a $2 million check for his 30^th birthday.

Cardi posted an Instagram Story of the Migos rapper joyfully holding an enormous check replica at his birthday party Tuesday night in Los Angeles. She commented, “Happy birthday!!! He literally got it all.” Offset’s birthday was December 14, but they waited a week to celebrate.

On Offset’s birthday, Cardi posted a photo of them snuggling and commented, “I love you so much and I’m so proud of you. We have overcome so much together. I love the man that you’re becoming and I love the father that you are. Thank you for always being there for me, for being a great confidant and advisor and for never allowing me to sell myself short.”

“I’m so lucky to have you as a partner raising our beautiful kids. You have soo many projects and businesses that you are managing and leading yet you have helped me so much in this journey wit our two babies,” the “Up” rapper continued. “May life keep blessing you and you continue to thrive. I’m so excited for the world to see what you got coming.”

In October, Offset purchased a sprawling mansion in the Caribbean as an investment-slash-gift for Cardi’s 29th birthday. The couple, who secretly married in 2017, have two children:  Kulture, 3 and a 16-week-old baby son.

 

 

 

 

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In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season aired on PBS Tuesday night, with artists of all genres coming together for powerful, classic renditions of favorite holiday songs.

Eric Church was among them, joining the lineup alongside his trusty back-up vocalist/singing partner Joanna Cotten for their version of “Joy to the World.” Accompanied by sparse instrumentation and Eric’s own guitarwork, the country superstar traded verses with Joanna throughout the performance.

They performed from the White House’s Green Room. The PBS special aired from various historic rooms in the building, with artists performing from the State Dining Room, the East Room and the Blue Room — the latter of which is the location of the Official White House Christmas Tree.

In case you missed it last night, you can stream In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season on PBS’ website.

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