Page 6 – That Eric Alper

5 Surprising Facts About Bad Bunny’s ‘YHLQMDLG’

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

5 Surprising Facts About Bad Bunny’s ‘YHLQMDLG’

When YHLQMDLG landed, it arrived as a statement of cultural confidence and musical memory. Bad Bunny tapped directly into reggaeton’s roots, channeling the energy of early-2000s perreo while presenting it through a modern, global lens. The album connected generations, linking the genre’s club beginnings to its streaming-era dominance.

Its influence extended far beyond charts. YHLQMDLG reinforced Spanish-language music as a central force in global pop, shaping how reggaeton, Latin trap, and crossover Latin sounds moved in 2020. With massive streaming success, genre-spanning production, and unapologetic identity, the album set a new benchmark for how Latin artists could define trends on their own terms.

1. The Title Was Hidden in Plain Sight
The album title first appeared inside the music video for the lead single “Vete.” Fans spotted it before the album announcement, turning the acronym into an early clue for what was coming.

2. A Leap Day Release by Design
Bad Bunny announced the album just two days before release. It arrived on February 29, 2020, making Leap Day part of the album’s identity and rollout.

3. Old-School Reggaeton Was the Blueprint
The album drew heavily from early reggaeton styles. Tracks like “Safaera” leaned into beat switches and structures inspired by the genre’s 2000s era.

4. A Record-Setting Spanish Album
YHLQMDLG debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. At the time, it became the highest-charting all-Spanish album in the chart’s history.

5. Streaming Defined Its Global Reach
The album finished 2020 as Spotify’s most streamed album worldwide. It also became the best-selling Latin album in the United States that year and won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album.

5 Surprising Facts About Drake’s ‘Take Care’

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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5 Surprising Facts About Drake’s ‘Take Care’

When Take Care arrived, it marked a defining moment in 2010s hip hop and R&B. The album presented a slower, more introspective approach that centered mood, atmosphere, and emotional clarity, setting a new standard for how personal mainstream rap could sound.

Created through an extensive collaboration between Drake and producer Noah “40” Shebib, Take Care established a sonic blueprint built on minimalist production, submerged melodies, and a blend of singing and rapping. These elements became widely adopted across hip hop and R&B, influencing artists who embraced vulnerability, late-night textures, and reflective songwriting.

The album’s themes of fame, relationships, ambition, and self-examination resonated broadly with listeners. Its commercial success, critical acclaim, and lasting presence in conversations about the best albums of the 2010s reflect its enduring influence on modern music culture. Here are 5 things you might not have known about the album.

1. Built Around Time and Patience
Drake named the album Take Care to reflect a slower creative process. Recording began in 2010 and focused on cohesion rather than speed. Much of it was recorded in Toronto, grounding the album in a specific place and mood.

2. The Sound Came From a Tight Core Team
Noah “40” Shebib handled most of the production, shaping the album’s signature low-tempo and atmospheric style. Additional producers like Boi-1da, T-Minus, and Jamie xx added texture without disrupting the album’s unified feel.

3. A Major Early Platform for The Weeknd
The Weeknd contributed vocals and songwriting to multiple tracks. His involvement helped introduce his dark, minimalist R&B sound to a global audience, while Drake and 40 disputed claims about how much material was shared.

4. It Leaked and Still Dominated
Despite leaking online nine days early, the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold 631,000 copies in its first week and later earned Diamond certification from the RIAA.

5. No #1 Singles, Massive Legacy
None of the album’s singles reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Even so, Take Care remains one of the strongest-performing albums of the 21st century and earned Drake his first Grammy for Best Rap Album.

5 Surprising Facts About Lady Gaga’s ‘The Fame Monster’

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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5 Surprising Facts About Lady Gaga’s ‘The Fame Monster’

When The Fame Monster arrived, it did more than extend a blockbuster debut. It shifted the temperature of pop music. In a moment when glossy escapism ruled the charts, Lady Gaga leaned into something darker, theatrical, and emotionally charged, proving that mainstream pop could still be strange, challenging, and deeply conceptual without losing its mass appeal.

The project sharpened Gaga’s influence across music, fashion, and visual culture. Its industrial edges, Gothic moods, and club-ready hooks reshaped the sound of late-2000s electropop, while its monster metaphors offered a new language for exploring fame, fear, and identity. This was pop that invited listeners onto the runway, into the club, and behind the curtain all at once.

More than a reissue, The Fame Monster became a cultural hinge point. It elevated Gaga from hitmaker to architect of a fully realized pop universe, set a new standard for ambitious pop rollouts, and inspired a generation of artists to think bigger, darker, and more cinematically. Years later, its influence still pulses through modern pop, dance, and electronic music. Here are 5 amazing facts about the album.

1. It Almost Wasn’t Its Own Thing
The Fame Monster started as a deluxe reissue of The Fame, but Lady Gaga pushed back hard. She felt re-releases were often overpriced and creatively lazy. Instead, she argued the new songs were conceptually different, calling the two projects yin and yang.

2. Eight Songs, One Dark Idea
Unlike The Fame, this project explored the darker side of celebrity using “monster” metaphors. Fear of love, sex, alcohol, and fame itself all became characters. Gaga said touring exposed her to real-life “monsters” that shaped the songs.

3. Fashion Shows Shaped the Sound
The album wasn’t just inspired by clubs and charts. Runways and fashion shows played a major role in its identity. Gaga described it as pop built from industrial and Gothic beats, 90s dance melodies, and 80s melancholic pop obsessions.

4. The Cover Art Caused a Fight
Both album covers were shot by Hedi Slimane, but the darker brunette image was initially rejected. The label felt it was too Gothic for mainstream audiences. Gaga convinced them by tying it to the album’s yin and yang concept.

5. A Monster of a Tour Followed
The Monster Ball Tour supported the album from 2009 to 2011. It became the highest-grossing tour ever by a debut headlining artist. Not bad for a project that almost stayed stuck as a bonus disc.

Dark And Twisties Unveil Haunting Debut Album ‘Ungrateful Women’

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Dark And Twisties Unveil Haunting Debut Album ‘Ungrateful Women’

Swansea-based alt-folk quintet Dark And Twisties have released their debut LP, Ungrateful Women, a masterful collection that blends traditional folk roots with ethereal, modern storytelling. Released on December 19, 2025, the album was recorded at Mwnci Studios and features the band’s signature three-part harmonies and intricate instrumentation, including fiddle, banjo, harp, and harmonium. The project serves as a poignant exploration of the female experience, navigating the delicate balance between solo independence and the weight of loneliness. Through stand-out tracks like “Oh! Johanna,” “The Wild,” and the title cut, members Sarah Birch, Kate Ronconi, Sarah Passmore, Danny Kilbride, and Huw Rees weave a landscape of “uplifting sadness” that captures the complexities of masking, loss, and the pursuit of a quiet life. Since emerging in 2023, the group has quickly built a loyal following for their ability to transport listeners into a transcendent, shadow-filled world where every harmony feels like a shared memory.

Celldweller Reimagines the Holidays With ‘An Offworld Christmas’ EP

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Celldweller Reimagines the Holidays With ‘An Offworld Christmas’ EP

Electronic-rock pioneer Celldweller has released An Offworld Christmas, a two-track EP that reimagines holiday classics through the atmospheric lens of his 2017 Offworld era. The project, released via his independent label FiXT on December 3, 2025, features hauntingly cinematic renditions of “What Child Is This?” and the newly released single “Silent Night.” By blending shoegaze sensibilities and alternative rock with lush orchestral strings and ethereal synths, Klayton—the multifaceted producer behind Celldweller—captures a unique sense of “Offworld melancholy” that balances serene wonder with the mystery of a midnight sky. With a career spanning over 20 years and more than 750 million streams, Klayton continues to push the boundaries of electronic-rock, delivering a holiday collection that is as breathtakingly modern as it is otherworldly.

Vancouver Art-Rock Project Sunday Morning Honors Resilience on “Carry the Sky”

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Vancouver Art-Rock Project Sunday Morning Honors Resilience on “Carry the Sky”

Vancouver art-rock outfit Sunday Morning has released “Carry the Sky,” a powerful, radio-ready anthem that serves as a cinematic tribute to love and endurance. Led by frontman Bruce Wilson, the track marks a significant evolution for the project, shifting from dark, poetic storytelling toward a soaring and celebratory sound. Written in the wake of the loss of Wilson’s sister, Juliet, and his close friend, Christian, the single was recorded at the legendary Warehouse Studio with producer Jamey Koch. By blending honest reflections on grief with an uplifting, widescreen chorus, Sunday Morning honors the lives of those lost while offering a message of hope, solidifying a creative renaissance for Wilson that began after his recovery and a decade-long hiatus from the music scene.

Here Come the Mummies Unleash Funk Single “Nomadic Life” Ahead of 2026 EP

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Here Come the Mummies Unleash Funk Single “Nomadic Life” Ahead of 2026 EP

The legendary, linen-wrapped lords of funk, Here Come the Mummies, have released their latest single, “Nomadic Life,” via Sphinxter Records. A bold, swaggering anthem dedicated to constant motion and the thrill of the next adventure, the track features the band’s signature airtight grooves and winking humor. It serves as the second preview of their highly anticipated Road Trip EP, which is set to arrive on January 16, 2026, following the release of the punchy escape anthem “Rubber Meets the Road.” The band, whose mysterious origins range from a pharaoh’s curse to reincarnated Grammy-winning session players, continues to solidify their reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in North America, bridging the gap between underground myth and mainstream funk-rock mastery.

The upcoming Road Trip EP expands this high-energy spirit into a full-length journey, featuring tracks like the mischievously titled “Backdoor” and the playfully cryptic “DTF” (Down Town Funk). To support the release, the Mummies are gearing up for a massive 2026 tour schedule, beginning with a headline appearance on Jam Cruise 22 in February before hitting theaters and casinos across the Midwest and South through the spring. With a live legacy that includes sharing stages with P-Funk and Al Green, as well as regular appearances on The Bob & Tom Show and Jimmy Fallon’s That’s My Jam, the band remains an unstoppable force of “Terrifying Funk from Beyond the Grave.” Fans can catch the new era of mayhem starting with “Nomadic Life,” currently streaming on all major digital platforms.

Here Come the Mummies 2026 Tour Dates:

02/07 – Miami, FL @ Jam Cruise 22 (MSC Divina)

02/13 – Port Charlotte, FL @ Bert’s Back Porch

02/14 – Boca Raton, FL @ Crazy Uncle Mike’s

02/27 – Dubuque, IA @ Mississippi Moon Bar

02/28 – Kansas City, MO @ Ameristar Casino Star Pavilion

03/01 – Bloomington, IL @ Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts

03/12 – Marion, IL @ Marion Cultural and Civic Center

03/13 – St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theatre

03/14 – Green Bay, WI @ EPIC Event Center

03/15 – Lansing, MI @ Grewal Hall at 224

04/09 – Kent, OH @ The Kent Stage

04/10 – Anderson, IN @ Paramount Theatre

04/11 – Nashville, IN @ Brown County Music Center

04/12 – Hobart, IN @ Hobart Art Theater

Kylie Minogue Celebrates 10 Years of Holiday Magic with ‘Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)’

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Kylie Minogue Celebrates 10 Years of Holiday Magic with ‘Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)’

Kylie Minogue has released ‘Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)’, a glittering 10th-anniversary expansion of her festive catalog via Warner Records and Rhino. This definitive 2025 edition features the original album’s favorites alongside four brand-new recordings: “Hot In December,” “This Time Of Year,” “Office Party,” and the viral Amazon Music Original “XMAS.” The lead single, which features a surprise cameo from ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus in its campy music video, has already sparked a global social media dance trend and propelled the album to a historic Number 1 debut on the UK Official Albums Chart. The milestone release marks Kylie’s 11th chart-topping album and her first Christmas Number 1 single, outperforming seasonal classics from Wham! and Mariah Carey.

The anniversary project is available in a variety of limited-edition physical formats, including candy cane, pink-and-white marble, and 12-inch Zoetrope vinyl pressings. To support the launch, Minogue headlined Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball at London’s O2 Arena on December 7, delivering the live debut of “XMAS” alongside a career-spanning set of hits for a sold-out crowd. The campaign’s success was further bolstered by an exclusive partnership with Amazon Music, providing “XMAS” with a unique digital edge that helped secure Kylie’s most successful sales week since 2002. From sisterly duets with Dannii Minogue to new party anthems, ‘Fully Wrapped’ solidifies Minogue’s enduring status as a holiday icon, blending high-fashion glamour with the timeless spirit of the season.

Lindsey Stirling and Sixthman Announce 2027 ‘Master of Tides Cruise: Roundtable Rival Edition’

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Lindsey Stirling and Sixthman Announce 2027 ‘Master of Tides Cruise: Roundtable Rival Edition’

Multi-platinum pop-violinist and entertainer Lindsey Stirling has partnered with Sixthman to announce the 2027 return of her immersive musical voyage, Lindsey Stirling’s Master of Tides Cruise: Roundtable Rival Edition. Sailing January 29–February 2, 2027, aboard the Norwegian Jewel, the four-night journey departs from Miami, Florida, to the turquoise waters of Cozumel, Mexico. This second edition of the cruise follows a highly successful 2025 inaugural sailing that raised over $148,000 for Stirling’s charity, The Upside Fund. The “Roundtable Rival” theme promises a Wild West-inspired adventure at sea, featuring two headlining pool deck performances by Stirling, interactive workshops with her band, and fan-favorite activities like line dancing and “Saloon-style” karaoke. Fans who act quickly during the final presale signups, which conclude December 15, 2025, can access a $100 discount, while the first 400 cabins booked will receive an exclusive intimate performance and a pre-cruise Zoom session with Stirling herself.

The voyage serves as a major fundraising platform for The Upside Fund, which Stirling founded to help those burdened by medical debt and to increase access to mental health resources. Onboard the Norwegian Jewel, guests can participate in “Dining with Purpose,” an intimate multi-course event where Stirling shares insights into the fund’s impact, or bid on rare memorabilia during a dedicated silent auction. Beyond the star-studded entertainment, the ship offers luxury amenities including the Mandara Spa, a full sports court, and multiple dining options, while shore excursions in Cozumel provide opportunities for exploring Mayan ruins and world-class snorkeling. Public on-sales begin Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 2 pm ET, exclusively through the official Master of Tides Cruise website.

Watch Neil Peart’s Iconic “Drum Solo Week” Performance on Letterman

Music

Eric Alper

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Dec 26, 2025

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Watch Neil Peart’s Iconic “Drum Solo Week” Performance on Letterman

In June 2011, the late Neil Peart delivered a masterclass in percussion during the inaugural “Drum Solo Week” on Late Night with David Letterman. Appearing to promote the 30th-anniversary edition of Rush’s seminal 1981 album Moving Pictures, Peart performed a “mentally edited” four-minute version of his legendary Time Machine Tour solo. The performance, which showcased his transition toward a more deliberate improvisational style, closed out a week of elite drumming that featured icons like Sheila E and Roy Haynes.