It’s a good week to be BTS! After unleashing their Be album, the group earned another No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as another Hot 100 topper with “Life Goes On.” They also appeared on The Disney Holiday Singalong to spread some festive cheer, Jin celebrated his 28th birthday by releasing a new track, and on top of all that, the year-end charts revealed BTS’ domination of the social media stratosphere.
This week also proved that the holiday season is in full swing, with Christmas specials happening almost every day. Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton are just some of the acts making the season bright!
Plus, Billboard unveiled Woman of the Year Cardi B’s cover, a new episode of Quizzed arrived, and much more.
Take a look at all of the week’s can’t-miss music moments below.
BTS earned their fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200
So dynamite! BTS’s Be debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart this week; the set, which was released via Big Hit Entertainment on Nov. 20, arrived with 242,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 26, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Plus, Megan Thee Stallion’s debut album Good News entered in second spot. See the full Billboard 200 rundown for the week ending Nov. 26 here.
The 2020 Soul Train Awards were a night to remember
The 2020 Soul Train Awards aired on BET on Sunday (Nov. 29), and Chris Brown, H.E.R. and Summer Walker were the big winners. Plus, Brandy, Ella Mai, Ceelo Green, Snoh Aalegra and more performed. Check out a recap of the awards show here, and see the full winners’ list here!
BTS’ “Life Goes On” topped the Hot 100
Aside from their Billboard 200-topping album Be, the South Korean septet has earned their third Hot 100 No. 1 with “Life Goes On.” Notably, “Life Goes On” is also the first Hot 100 No. 1 in the chart’s 62-year history that’s sung predominantly in Korean. Check out the full rundown for this week’s Hot 100 chart here, see BTS’ reaction to the feat here, and read the Billboard staff roundtable about the group’s No.1/No.1 here.
The Disney Holiday Singalong was a jolly good time
‘Tis the season for The Disney Holiday Singalong! On Monday night (Nov. 30), Ryan Seacrest hosted the holiday special, which featured performances from BTS, Katy Perry, P!nk, Chloe x Halle and many more. In case you missed it, watch all of the best performances and check out a recap of the merry night here.
Carrie Underwood debuted her holiday special
Deck the halls with boughs of Carrie! The country favorite starred in her own HBO Max special on Dec. 3 to celebrate the release of her holiday album, My Gift. Get in the spirit and check out My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood here.
Miley Cyrus delivered an Apple Music Backyard Sessions edition of her seventh album
After dropping her Plastic Hearts album last week, the popstar has released Backyard Sessions versions of four songs from the LP, including the fan-favorite track “Golden G String.” Joined by producer Andrew Wyatt on acoustic guitar for her performance, Cyrus rocked a tiny flower bikini top as she sang the ballad. Watch clips of the “G String” and “Angels” videos here.
The 11th annual CMA Country Christmas special was fun and festive
Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins made their hosting debut for the one-hour event, which was chock-full of spirited performances. And for any country music fans who missed the Christmas magic, there’s still time to catch the special renditions of both holiday classics and originals from Rhett, Little Big Town, Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay and many more. Watch all 10 performances from the 2020 CMA Country Christmas here.
The Handmaid’s Tale star Yvonne Strahovski quizzed Dua Lipa
Serena Joy gave the show’s biggest fan — Dua Lipa — the ultimate trivia test. Lipa has apparently watched The Handmaid’s Tale four times (!) …but how much does she really know about it? Watch the popstar get “Quizzed” here!
Billboard’s latest cover star was Cardi B
All the applause for Billboard Woman of the Year Cardi B! “Am I a role model? I know I’m a role model because I know there’s a lot of women like me,” the rapper and entrepreneur tells Billboard’s Carl Lamarre. “At the end of the day, I know I’m a b—h that made it through because I work my ass off, not because luck fell on my thighs.” Read the full cover story here, and on Dec. 10, tune in to see Cardi honored at the Women in Music ceremony here.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting was, of course, lit
On Wednesday night (Dec. 2), some of the biggest pop stars in the country gathered ’round as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was lit up in Manhattan. While the weather was frightful, Dolly Parton, Brett Eldredge, Gwen Stefani, Tori Kelly, Pentatonix and other A-listers kept viewers warm and toasty. See the highlights here.
Spotify unwrapped its 2020 Wrapped insights
On Tuesday (Dec. 1), Spotify unrolled the now-yearly tradition of letting fans see what they listened to all year. If you’re wondering how every single person in your social media feed is accessing their Spotify Wrapped data for 2020, look no further! Here’s how you can see your own Spotify Wrapped.
Billboard unveiled the Year in Charts for 2020
For the second year in a row, Post Malone is No. 1 on the year-end Top Artists chart — the first time an act has gone back-to-back as the year’s top artist since Adele in 2011 and 2012. Plus, Post Malone has the No. 1 album on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums chart, as Hollywood’s Bleeding finishes in first place. Learn more about the year-end recap here.
The virtual Rock the Runoff concert featured some major performances
In support of Fair Fight, a voting rights organization launched by Stacey Abrams that aims to raise awareness about election reform in Georgia, Kerry Washington hosted a virtual Rock the Runoff concert on Dec. 3. The night included performances from John Legend, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda! Check out the highlights here.