James Blake Covers Billie Eilish, Big Freedia and Flo Milli Do Santa, and More Best Songs of the Week

Just weeks shy of 2020’s grand finale, let’s just say it: This year wasn’t the best. Much of the world spent the year huddled indoors, sheltering away from economic anxiety and a dark health crisis that made us question whether we’d ever see the light again.

Selena Gomez, Halsey and Justin Bieber, but it was not until mid-March, when the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up, that things really kicked into high gear in the music industry.

“What’s Your Pleasure?” But while the LP gave us all the disco feels we weren’t able to have on an actual dance floor, its soaring, sumptuous final track reminded us that, even if the world we remembered no longer existed, we should “keep loving on the edge of doubt.”Just when all hope of certified freakiness seemed lost, Cardi and Megan reminded us that sex was still alive and well in 2020.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs this trainwreck of a year trainwrecks itself to a close, we present the final Fri5 of 2020 — and as if on cue, it’s one of the more confusing batches of songs we’ve highlighted. We’re not even entirely sure who one of these artists is (see Rook Monroe).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAmid yet another Grammy Awards season loaded with controversy, the Recording Academy will honor the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association at its 23rd annual Entertainment Law Initiative Event & Scholarship Presentation, which will take place during Grammy Week in a new virtual format. The event is invite-only.At the event, BESLA will be honored with the 2021 Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award.

Taylor Swift and Orlando Bloom are ringing in the holidays with their favorite flicks.Just like us, celebrities have a movie they love to watch as the holidays approach. While some love Home Alone and Love Actually, others prefer the classics like A Christmas Story.Jack Black, for example, revealed his go-to festive movie during an interview in 2019.

Each week, The FADER staff rounds up the songs we can't get enough of. Here they are, in no particular order.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe charts are usually filled with holiday fare each mid-December, but this year is over the top even by that standard. While Shawn Mendes’ “Wonder” debuted at No.

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have become quite the songwriting duo. And now, the singer is sharing some insight on how her boyfriend helped her co-write new songs on her latest album, .«Joe and I really love sad songs.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA new trailer has dropped for “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” a new documentary about the “Bad Guy” singer and songwriter, which will premiere in theaters and on Apple TV Plus in February 2021.The film is directed by award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who previously turned his camera on the worlds of high fashion (“The September Issue”) and politics (“The War Room”).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVevo’s year-end statistics show that Future and Drake’s “Life is Good” is the most viewed Vevo video of 2020, with 1.3 billion views globally; and J Balvin is the most viewed Vevo artist, with 2.7 billion views worldwide.

Taylor Swift has the best friends in the world! The Evermore songstress turned 31 years old on Sunday, Dec. 13 and she was showered with loving messages on her special day. BFFs Gigi Hadid, 25, and Blake Lively, 33, both took to Instagram to pay tribute to Taylor with fun throwback photos. Gigi wrote, “Happiest 31st Birthday, my T! Wish we could be together to celebrate. Love U so much.”

Taylor Swift had some help from boyfriend Joe Alwyn while writing a few songs on her new album Evermore! Back in November, the 30-year-old entertainer revealed that the 29-year-old actor was a “secret” collaborator on her album Folklore. However, Joe wasn’t credited under his real name.

Chvrches vocalist Lauren Mayberry has celebrated the release of Taylor Swift‘s new album ‘Evermore’ by sharing a video of her at her “super-stan best”.‘Evermore’ was released at midnight last night (December 10) with only a few hours warning, following up July’s ‘Folklore’.Before the album dropped last night, Mayberry shared a video of her acing a rapid fire test of Taylor Swift intros from a friend.“In honour of impending new Taylor Swift, here is me a while ago at my super-stan best,” she

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTaylor Swift’s new album isn’t the only surprise release of the week: Chris Cornell’s estate has dropped a full album of covers performed by the late Soundgarden frontman called “No One Sings Like You Anymore,” which the announcement describes as Cornell’s “handpicked collection of 10 cover songs, which he personally selected and sequenced to celebrate artists and songs that inspired him.”Recorded in 2016, the collection, which is his last fully completed studio

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorYouTube has unveiled its lists of the Top Songs from 2020, with Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” topping the list. The full tallies appear below, along with other factoids — and check out Variety‘s feature on Ricch from last week’s “Hitmakers” awards, where he won Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Shawn Mendes‘ appearance on James Corden‘s The Late Late Show did not disappoint, and his Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts segment was so fun to watch.

Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers and many more have been lined up to play Cyndi Lauper‘s 10th annual Home For The Holidays benefit concert.Both artists will appear and perform alongside an impressive bill that also includes the likes of Brittany Howard, Cher, Dolly Parton, Kim Petras, King Princess and Adam Lambert for the virtual edition of Lauper’s benefit show.Hosted by Lauper herself, the show will take place via her TikTok page this Friday (11 December) from 8pm EST / 1am

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOkay, we’ll admit it: We’re still hung over from celebrating after our stellar “Hitmakers” event last night — a virtual party that basically turned into a virtual mini-awards show with appearances from Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Lil Baby and many more.