JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Christmas season has officially arrived - at least on the Billboard charts. But NPR Music's Stephen Thompson says there's still plenty of new non-holiday music to choose from, led by a record-setting K-pop group.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: We've reached the time of year when the chart tracking the biggest songs in America has been overtaken by a wintry mix. Twenty two of the top 50 songs this week are holiday standards. Leading the way, as usual, is Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." It's at No. 5. And just in case you haven't already heard it today, here it is again.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU")
MARIAH CAREY: (Singing) I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you.
THOMPSON: Also in the Top 10 are three even older holiday perennials - Wham!'s "Last Christmas," Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" and Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "JINGLE BELL ROCK")
BOBBY HELMS: (Singing) Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring.
THOMPSON: Over on Billboard's albums chart, you'll find a fair bit of Christmas music as well, though none of it has yet climbed into the Top 10 during this holiday season. Instead, a curious assortment of non-holiday entries debut near the top of the chart, including two soundtracks. The second season of Amazon's animated TV series "Hazbin Hotel" lands at No. 8, while the blockbuster sequel "Wicked: For Good" enters the Billboard 200 at No. 2.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FOR GOOD")
CYNTHIA ERIVO: (As Elphaba, singing) Because I knew you.
ARIANA GRANDE: (As Glinda, singing) Because I knew you.
CYNTHIA ERIVO AND ARIANA GRANDE: (As Elphaba and Glinda, singing) I have been changed for good.
THOMPSON: If you've been following the charts through the fall, you might think you know what the No. 1 album is. For the last seven weeks that's been Taylor Swift's blockbuster "The Life Of A Showgirl," but it falls to No. 3 this week. Debuting at No. 1, the K-pop boy band Stray Kids with a new mix tape called "Do It."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DO IT")
STRAY KIDS: (Singing) Do it, do it, do it, do it. Oh, na-na, na-na-na. Do it, do it, do it, do it. Oh, na-na, na-na-na.
THOMPSON: Last year, Stray Kids became the first act ever to begin its chart career with six No. 1 debuts. Now they've extended that record to eight, all of them released within the last four years. That kind of chart run is the product of a disciplined campaign to release a short-form record every few months, maximize first-week sales to a passionate fan base and virtually guarantee multiple chart-toppers each year.
Stray Kids' latest project derived most of its chart numbers from sales, which don't carry over from week to week, so don't expect "Do It" to stay at No. 1 for long. But once an album has topped the charts, it's a chart-topper forever.
Stephen Thompson, NPR Music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIVINE")
STRAY KIDS: (Singing) Ascending, I take off, touch the sun. Cleansing the world, but I ain't done. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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