Christmas songs are designed to be catchy, annoying and vaguely reminiscent of winter. The most successful are horrible holiday earworms, such as "Wonderful Christmastime" and "Heat Miser/Snow Miser." But one song is so overplayed and over-covered and so mediocre to begin with that it makes the rest sound like "White Christmas." Its recent exclusion from the A/V Club’s recent list of worst Christmas songs is a gross injustice to the holidays and to musicdom in general. READ MORE

And here is Beyoncé covering Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" (and Kings of Leon's "Sex on Fire" (whatever)) this weekend. She's been doing this on tour for a bit (and covering Prince for a couple of years, and of course she performed "Purple Rain" with him in 2004) but this is the first really stellar recording of this; I would describe this as LIFE-CHANGING. Stop work, put your headphones on, etc. I do wish she hadn't switched the genders in the lyrics though. (via, previously)

What is the most challenging song to cover in the history pop music? Prince's "When Doves Cry" might get my vote. READ MORE

The December Architectural Digest hit mailboxes yesterday. Hey, wow, is it ever covered in words! And a new urgency. These words, they promise us such delights as... a look inside the homes of Magic Johnson and Malcolm McDowell and Carole King? This was not a thing I ever thought I might want! Architectural Digest's ad pages were down 58% over last year, so clearly they are compelled to try something new. Or is it? We took a look back the magazine's December issues, and its increasingly strenuous cover packaging over the past 20 years. READ MORE

Here is the new official video for Antony and the Johnson's cover of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love." (Many live videos have been floating about for a while.) Pretty much a note-for-note carbon copy of the original. READ MORE

You knew Mos Def could rap, and act, and argue foreign affairs with Christopher Hitchens and Salman Rushdie. (Did you know that? If not, check this clip from Real Time With Bill Maher.) And did you know he could sing? Here he is giving tribute to Michael Jackson-something Rap Radar's Elliott Wilson notes is currently "Mandatory. End of story."-on a cover of "Billie Jean." He's subtle in striking the iconic poses, and in his moonwalk, and he lets the crowd at Chicago's House of Blues take the high parts. And there's a real sadness in his reggae-tinged lilt. You can think of lots of way someone could do something like this, most of them not nearly this nice.