Howie Dorough & Fellow Backstreet Boys Release Claymation Video for “Christmas in New York”

Everything’s a-oclay for Howie Dorough

The 49-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys have released a new music video for their holiday track “Christmas in New York.”

Howie Dorough, BSB, Backstreet BoysThe sweet and sentimental visual sees the quintet — Nick Carter, Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson — passionately singing the holiday track while their claymation counterparts explore a twinkling New York City during Christmas time.

The claymation dolls of the boy group witness and participate in classic scenes.

One features a dressed up Santa with an elf at his side ringing a bells and asking for donations with a big red bucket. The dolls head down to the TV-decorated intersection of Times Square, take a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park, view the holiday windows at Macy’s 34th street and go ice-skating in Rockefeller Center.

“All the elves are busy/ On Macy’s eighth floor/ It’s good to know there is still a miracle on 34th/ But what I love the most/ Is holding you this close/ This is what they made the Season for/ Oh, spending Christmas in/ Oh, another Christmas in/ Oh, yes, another Christmas in New York,” Littrell closes out the song with the rest of the members.

“Christmas in New York” hails from the boy band’s A Very Backstreet Christmas. The LP — which marked the group’s first collection of yuletide songs and its first studio effort in three years — was released on October 14 via BMG. The set charted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 following its release.

In addition to “Christmas in New York,” other holiday tracks like “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” are included on the album.

“Christmas in New York” is one of three original Christmas songs on the album; the others are titled “Together” and “Happy Days.”

Howie Dorough & His Fellow Backstreet Boys’ “Last Christmas” Cover Hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay Chart

It’s a Christmas season to remember for Howie Dorough

The 49-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his Backstreet Boys band mates have dashed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay chart dated December 3, reflecting plays in the Nov. 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Howie Dorough, Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys notche their third Adult Contemporary No. 1 and first since its pop classic “I Want It That Way” reigned for 10 weeks beginning in July 1999.

The act first led with “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” for seven weeks starting in October 1998.

Backstreet Boys’ triumphant return to the AC summit grants them the record for the longest break between No. 1s among groups: a week shy of exactly 23 years since the last frame on top for “I Want It That Way.”

Among all acts, only Elton John has waited longer between time at No. 1 (23 years, 11 months and a week between “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” in 1998 and “Merry Christmas,” with Ed Sheeran, last holiday season).

Among groups, Backstreet Boys pass the Eagles (a week short of 20 years between “Best of My Love” in 1975 and “Love Will Keep Us Alive” in 1995).

Backstreet Boys’ update of “Last Christmas” is from their first holiday LP, A Very Backstreet Christmas, which launched at No. 1 on the Top Holiday Albums chart in October. Another song from the set, “Christmas in New York,” rises to a new No. 19 AC high.

Released in 1984, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” — written and produced by George Michael — re-enters the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 at No. 23. The song hit the top 10 for the first time in the 2020 holiday season and reached a No. 7 best last season. On the Holiday 100, the carol ranks at No. 6 as the survey returns.

With the original receiving strong airplay, and streams, each holiday season – Wham’s version ranks at No. 5 on the December 3-dated Holiday Airplay list with 19.8 million audience impressions – charted covers of “Last Christmas” have been rare, although all by high-profile acts.

Anitta Among Performers for This Year’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour

Anitta is preparing to jingle all the way to Miami…

iHeartMedia has revealed the star-studded lineup for its annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour, with the 29-year-old Brazilian singer/songwriter making the list.

Anitta

Anitta will perform at Jingle Ball in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Florida market on Sunday, December 18, at 7:00 pm EST.

But Anitta isn’t the only Latinx artist set to take the stage…

Pitbull is scheduled to perform at the concerts in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC and Atlanta.

Howie Dorough and his fellow Backstreet Boys will perfrom in Detroit, New York City, Boston and Ft. Lauderdale/Miami.

Demi Lovato will perform in Boston, while Carlos PenaVega and his Big Time Rush band mates will perform at Ft. Lauderdale/Miami.

The 2022 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will stop in Dallas/Ft. Worth; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; New York; Boston; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Tampa and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.

“Every year our iHeartRadio Jingle Ball lineup is one of the most anticipated announcements,” Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, said in a press statement. “We’re particularly excited about who’s playing this year. This is the show that represents the best pop music of the year, all brought together on one stage. We look forward to celebrating the holiday season with music fans across the country.”

“This the time of the year when the biggest artists in music come together to celebrate the holidays with their fans from coast to coast, culminating with a two hour broadcast television event on The CW Network,” added John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises for iHeartMedia.

Ticket pre-sale for Capital One cardholders begins on Tuesday, October 4 at 10:00 am local time and runs through Thursday, October 6 at 10:00 am local time. Pre-sale info and tickets will be available at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 7 at 12:00 pm local time here.

For those who can’t make the shows in person, Z100’s Jingle Ball 2022 in New York City will air as a television special on The CW Network on Saturday, December 17 at 8:00 pm EST/PST. The CW Network will also video stream the concert live on CWTV.com and The CW App.

Here’s the full list of Jingle Ball dates and lineups:

Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas – Tuesday, November 29, at 7:30 p.m. CST
Performers: Jack Harlow, Black Eyed Peas, Khalid, Lauv, Ava Max, Lewis Capaldi, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Jax and Nicky Youre.

Los Angeles, Calif. – Friday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. PST
Performers: Dua Lipa, Jack Harlow, Pitbull, Khalid, Bebe Rexha, Lewis Capaldi, Ava Max, Dove Cameron, Jax and Nicky Youre.

Chicago, Ill. – Monday, December 5, at 7 p.m. CST
Performers: Jack Harlow, Pitbull, Khalid, Macklemore, Lauv, Tate McRae, Ava Max, Jax and Nicky Youre.

Detroit, Mich. – Tuesday, December 6, at 7:30 p.m. EST
Performers: The Kid LAROI, AJR, Backstreet Boys, Khalid, Macklemore, Tate McRae, Ava Max, Nicky Youre, Jax and Armani White

New York, N.Y. – Friday, December 9, at 7 p.m. EST
Performers: Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Charlie Puth, Backstreet Boys, The Kid LAROI, AJR, Demi Lovato, Lauv, Ava Max, Dove Cameron and Jax.

Boston, Mass. – Sunday, December 11, at 6 p.m. EST
Performers: Jack Harlow, Backstreet Boys, Demi Lovato, The Kid LAROI, Lauv, Tate McRae, Dove Cameron, Jax and Nicky Youre.

Philadelphia, Pa. – Monday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. EST
Performers: Sam Smith, Charlie Puth, AJR, Khalid, Tate McRae, Lauv, Ava Max, Jax and Nicky Youre.

Washington, D.C. – Tuesday, December 13, at 7:30 p.m. EST
Performers: Sam Smith, Pitbull, Charlie Puth, Khalid, Tate McRae, Lauv, Ava Max, Nicky Youre and Jax.

Atlanta, Ga. – Thursday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m. EST
Performers: Sam Smith, Pitbull, AJR, Macklemore, Khalid, Tate McRae, Lauv, Ava Max and Nicky Youre.

Tampa, Fla. – Friday, December 16 at 7 p.m. EST
Performers TBA

Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Fla. – Sunday, December 18, at 7 p.m. EST
Performers: Charlie Puth, Anitta, Backstreet Boys, Tate McRae, Black Eyed Peas, Big Time Rush, Ava Max, Lauren Spencer-Smith and Jax.

 

Howie Dorough & the Backstreet Boys to Release Boy Band’s First Christmas Album “A Very Backstreet Christmas”

Howie Dorough is embracing the holiday spirit…

The 48-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys bandmates will be ringing in Christmas early with the release of A Very Backstreet Christmas, a collection of yuletide classics plus three freshly cut tracks, out October 14.

Howie Dorough, BSB, Backstreet Boys
For their first-ever Christmas album and first studio effort in three years, the boy band has recorded “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and other timeless numbers, along with new songs “Christmas in New York,” “Together,” and “Happy Days.”

 

In addition, the ‘90s pop superstars will release exclusive versions that include a 15-track CD through Target, which will feature bonus tracks “Feliz Navidad” and “It’s Christmas Time Again,” and a limited-edition red-vinyl on the act’s official store.

“We’ve been wanting to do a Christmas album for nearly 30 years now, and we’re beyond excited that it’s finally happening,” co-founder Dorough said in a statement. “We had such a fun experience putting our BSB twist on some of our favorite Christmas classics and can’t wait to be part of our fans’ holiday season.”

The Backstreet Boys are currently on the North American leg of their DNA World Tour, which kicked off in April with four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Those dates are in support of DNA, the band’s 2019 album which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the act’s third No. 1, and first leader since Black & Blue spent two weeks at No. 1 in December of 2000.

DNA earned a Grammy nomination in the category for best pop duo/group performance (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”), and it marked BSB’s 10th top 10 album in the U.S.

Across their 29-year career, the quintet has shifted some 130 million records, according to BMG, which signed the BSB back in 2013.

Here’s the track list for A Very Backstreet Christmas:

“White Christmas”
“The Christmas Song”
“Winter Wonderland”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
“Last Christmas”
“O Holy Night”
“This Christmas”
“Same Ole Lang Syne”
“Silent Night”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Christmas in New York”
“Together”
“Happy Days”
“Feliz Navidad” *
“It’s Christmas Time Again” *

*Target version only

Howie Dorough & the Backstreet Boys Team Up with Britney Spears for “Matches”

Howie Dorough is lighting up the airwaves

The 47-year-old half-Puerto Rican and his Backstreet Boys band mates have joined voices with Britney Spears for the sultry single “Matches.”

Backstreet Boys

The pop crossover appears on Spears’ just-released deluxe edition of her 2016 album, Glory.

“What a GLORIOUS day it is… we’ve been asked about the possibility of a collab like this for the past 20 years and today is the day!!” the boy band wrote on Twitter. “#BritneyXBackstreet is finally here!”

Spears shared the sentiment.

“I’m so excited to hear what you think about our song together,” she tweeted. “Matches” featuring my friends @backstreetboys is out now !!!! I’m so excited to hear what you think about our song together !!!! You can also listen to Glory Deluxe everywhere now !!!!”

 

Glory’s deluxe issue also features four remixes of Spears’ “Mood Ring.”

Lionel Messi: The World’s Highest-Paid Latino on Forbes’ The Celebrity 100 List

Lionel Messi is kickin’ his way to the top of the earnings charts…

The 33-year-old Argentine soccer star, who plays for FC Barcelona, is the top-earning Latinx celebrity on Forbes’ recently released The Celebrity 100 list, which ranks the world’s highest-paid celebrities of 2020.

Lionel Messi

Messi, who has been awarded both FIFA’s Ballon d’Or and the European Golden Shoe for top scorer on the continent a record six times, comes in at No. 5 with earning of $104 million.

His current contract with Barcelona is through 2020-21 and pays him more than $80 million annually. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas, and he launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, The Messi Store, in September 2019 in Barcelona.

The World Health Organization (WHO) tapped Messi in March 2020 to help lead a worldwide campaign aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nipping on Messi’s heels is another soccer star and his former teammate… Neymar.

The 28-year-old Brazilian soccer player comes in at No. 7 on the list with earning of $95.5 million.

Neymar is currently on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million in salary.

His transfer from Barcelona to PSG stands as the most expensive in the world at $263 million, which the French club paid in full ahead of his signing.

He’s the second most popular athlete on social media with a combined 244 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Nike‘s Jordan Brand signed Neymar as its first soccer ambassador in 2016. In March 2020 its film unit released a movie about his life.

Jennifer Lopez is this year’s highest-paid Latina on the list.

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar comes in at No. 56 on the list with earnings of $47.5 million.

One of the more popular celebrities when it comes to endorsements, J.Lo has deals with Versace, DSW, Quay sunglasses and her own fragrance.

In 2018, she played her final shows at Las Vegas’ Zappos Theater, grossing more than $100 million in two years–the top Vegas residency by a Latin artist. She tacked on another $55 million in 2019 ticket sales for her ensuing world tour, which included stops in Egypt, Israel and Russia.

Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his first appearance on The Celebrity 100.

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor/rapper/lyricist/composer and Broadway star, the creator of the hit musical Hamilton, comes in at No. 62 with earning of $45.5 million.

Disney acquired worldwide rights to the film version of Hamilton in February 2020 for $75 million. And he helped create a $1 million emergency relief fund to benefit artists impacted by COVID-19 in Puerto Rico.

Other Latinx celebrities making the list include Howie Dorough (as a member of Backstreet Boys); Sofia Vergara, the world’s highest-paid actress; Robert Trujillo (as a member of Metallica); tennis star Rafael Nadal; and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez.

Forbes’ list ranks “front of the camera” stars around the globe using pretax earnings from June 2019 through May 2020 before deducting fees for managers, lawyers and agents. Figures are based on information from Nielsen Music/MRC Data, Pollstar, IMDB, NPD BookScan and ComScore as well as interviews with industry experts and many of the stars themselves.

In total, the 100 celebrities racked in a total of $6.1 billion in pretax earnings, which took a $200 million dip from last year after the pandemic halted — or rather redirected — lots of business models.

Here’s a look at the Latino/a celebrities who made the list this year:

No. 5 Lionel Messi, 33, Argentina, Soccer, $104 million

No. 7 Neymar, 28, Brazil, Soccer, $95.5 million
No. 56 Jennifer Lopez, 51, USA (Puerto Rican), Entertainment, $47.5 million

No. 62 Lin-Manuel Miranda, 40, USA (Puerto Rican), Entertainment, $45.5 million
No. 64 Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys), 47, USA (Half-Puerto Rican), Music, $45 million
No. 71 Sofia Vergara, 48, Colombia, Entertainment, $43 million

No. 78 Robert Trujillo (Metallica), 55, USA (Half-Mexican)Music, $40.5 million
No. 80 Rafael Nadal, 34, Spain, Tennis, $40 million
No. 91 Canelo Alvarez, 30, Mexico, Boxing, $37 million

Click here for the complete list.

Justina Machado to Compete on ABC’s Upcoming Season of “Dancing With The Stars”

Justina Machado’s ready to paso doble her way into your hearts…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actress, who currently stars on PopTV’s One Day at a Time, will compete on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars this season.

Justina Machado

Machado will compete against Tiger King’s Carole Baskin, rapper Nelly, Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause and NBA legend Charles Oakley among others for the coveted DTWS mirrorball trophy.

The ABC celebrity ballroom dancing competition series, based on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, will premiere on September 14 with new host Tyra Banks.

This season’s other competirors include Monica Aldama, star of Netflix’s Cheer, Disney Channel actress Skai Jackson, The Real’s Jeannie Mai, Catfish’s Nev Schulman, Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis, Anne Heche, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, and The Bachelor’s Kaitlyn Bristowe.

This season’s professional dancers include Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Artem Chigvintsev, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater and Britt Stewart.

In addition to hosting, Banks will also serve as an executive producer this season. She replaces Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews as the show’s host in season 29.

One of the challenges for this season is to ensure that the production adheres to COVID-19 protocols, a trickier move for a dance competition format than many other productions. Details of the health and safety protocols and other format refreshes are expected imminently.

Lionel Messi: The World’s Highest Paid Latino Celebrity

Lionel Messi isn’t just making goals… He’s makin’ some serious bank…

Forbes magazine has released its list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities, with the 32-year-old Argentine professional footballer coming in at No. 5 with $104 million, making his the highest-paid Latino celebrity in the world.

Lionel Messi

Messi has been awarded both FIFA‘s Player of the Year and the European Golden Shoe for top scorer on the continent a record six times. His 438 goals, including 36 hat tricks for Barcelona, is a club and La Liga record.

Neymarcomes in at No. 7…

The 28-year-old Brazilian professional footballer, who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team, had reported earnings of $95.5 million.

Jennifer Lopez is the highest-paid Latina celebrity on Forbes’ list.

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican superstar,one of the more popular celebrities when it comes to endorsements, had earnings of $47.5 million. She has deals with VersaceDSWQuay sunglasses and her own fragrances.

The multi-hyphenate also produced and starred in the 2019 film Hustlers.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has made Forbes’ list for the first time…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican Broadway star had reported earnings of $45.5 million.

The Hamilton creator and star added to his haul from the Broadway hit in February when Walt Disney paid $75 million for the rights to air the filmed version of his Founding Father musical. 

Other Latino/a celebrities making the list include Howie Dorough (along with his fellow Backstreet Boys), Sofia VergaraRobert Trujillo (along with his fellow Metallica band mates), Rafael Nadal and Canelo Alvarez.

Here’s a look at the Latino/as making this year’s list:

No. 5 Lionel Messi, $104 million
No. 7 Neymar, $95.5 million
No. 56 Jennifer Lopez, $47.5 million 
No. 62 Lin-Manuel Miranda, $45.5 million
No. 64 Backstreet Boys, $45 million
No. 71 Sofia Vergara, $43 million
No. 78 Metallica, $40.5 million
No. 80 Rafael Nadal, $40 million
No. 91 Canelo Alvarez, $37 million

Howie Dorough & the Backstreet Boys to Perform on Fox’s ‘New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey’ Special

Howie Dorough is ready to ring in the New Year with a bangin’ performance…

The 46-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his Backstreet Boys mates will take the stage for Fox’s third annual Fox’s New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey: Live from Times Square special.

Backstreet Boys

Dorough and the Backstreet Boys join a lineup that includes LL Cool JDJ Z-Trip, the Chainsmokers, the Lumineers, Florida Georgia LineTygaand The Killers, along with celebrity appearances by Gordon RamsayWill Arnettand Jenna Dewan.

Maria Menounos and NFL ex-player Rob Gronkowskiwill co-host the evening, which will feature a performance by Angel Moralesand his fellow Village Peoplemembers as the group tries to set a world record for the largest YMCAdance.

The evening also will feature a WWE match with Roman Reigns.

The Fox party starts at 8:00 pm live from Manhattan, with a tape-delayed edition for the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

Howie Dorough & Backstreet Boys Release Moving Video for Steve Aoki Collab “Let It Be Me”

Howie Doroughis about to make you cry…

The 46-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys have released the official music video for their Steve Aoki collaboration “Let It Be Me,” and you may need a tissue or two.

Backstreet Boys

While there are plenty of forlorn close-ups and boyish dance moves, the heart of the clip is a collection of tear-jerker stories from real humans.

“Let It Be Me” features men and women sharing their stories of love’s triumph over hate and disease. There’s the man whose wife battles cancer, the woman whose parents disown her for being gay, the deaf man who feels he’s less than others, and the trans woman who lives her life in constant fear. There’s a happy ending for all, but their journeys to get there will move you just as far.

It’s touching and true to life.