Playlist

If I only had more room in my full review of the Al Jarreau concert Saturday night at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. Then I could mention every song he performed that filled my ears with his signature brand of joyful noise. But right here, in my addendum to the full review, I'll wax about a few other tunes.

Easy - A breezy jazz-pop number with a flowing vibe. A flute added to the wistful feel. But it was all about Jarreau's soaring vocals.

Sweet Potato Pie - Give him a shaker and he gets into jazz-funk mode. But really, this is the human beat box we're talking about. The shaker wasn't necessary.

After All - What a sweet pop ballad. The audience sang along with him. "After all, I will be the one to hold you in my arms...."

Take Five - Jarreau never fails to honor Dave Brubeck with this totally jazz tour-de-force. Piano and saxophone only made it better.

Ok, for a full review of the Al Jarreau concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment.

Photo: Al Jarreau gets his boogie down Saturday night at the Eisemann Center in Richardson (Mona Reeder/DMN).

Our Super Bowl Blog has gotten word by way of HitFix that Christina Aguilera will be singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Cowboys Stadium.

Haven't heard X-tina's "Star-Spangled Banner?" Here's her performance at the 2010 NBA Finals:

What do you think? Is Aguilera a good choice for the Super Bowl?

Chet Haze, son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, has released a rap song about his days at Northwestern University. (Gawker)

There's not much to say other than to point out that Chet has held small roles in films like Bratz and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And to add that most rap songs about colleges are just the worst, unless you are currently a student at that university.

Be the first of your friends to like Chet on Facebook.

Listen to the anticipated track from Kanye West and Jay-Z at the album's Facebook page.

The track, "H.A.M.," is all over the place, with strings and opera singers as well as plenty of NSFW language -- so slip those headphones on before you listen at work. The full album, Watch the Throne, doesn't have an official release date as far as I know.

Listen to the track and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Britney Spears' new single, "Hold It Against Me" is streaming on New York's Z100 site today, a day before the single was set to drop. Have a listen and tell us what you think.

Photo by Jive

Mexican-American Jenni Rivera, considered the grand dame of banda and norteño music, will headline the NFL Pepsi Musica Super Bowl Fiesta Feb. 4 at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Also performing during the evening of Latin music are Miami reggaeton duo Chino y Nacho and singer Dulce Maria, formerly of the Latin teen pop band RBD.

The music starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 through Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6 p.m. Celebrity hosts and guest appearances by NFL players are to-be-named. Also, Univision is set to broadcast part of the Friday show live.

Photo: The always larger-than-life Jenni Rivera (AGENCIA REFORMA).

Dallas' neo soul diva Erykah Badu will perform a full concert prior to Prince's headlining show Feb. 4 at theEvent benefitting the Goss-Michael Foundation. The evening of music and culture, taking place during Super Bowl weekend, features food, guest DJs, a silent auction, and other special guests.

Tickets, which start at $1500 per person, include general admission, open bar and food stations. They go on sale Saturday, Jan. 8, at noon at www.princedallas.com. The soiree begins at 8 p.m. at theEvent Tent Complex, a climate-controlled performance tent at the former Reunion Arena site.

Photo: Badu beguiling on stage at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie last June (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

The list of Super Bowl concerts continues to grow. At 8 p.m. on Feb. 4, Prince will be playing at theEvent Tent Complex at the site formerly known as Reunion Arena.

It'll cost you, though. Single tickets require a $1500 contribution, which includes general admission, open bar and food stations. Proceeds go to The Goss-Michael Foundation.

More information at theEventDallas Twitter account.

Super Bowl fans are also music fans. And the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam Concert Series has a little bit for everybody on opening night. Kid Rock headlines the kick-off show Thursday, Feb. 3, with help from supporting acts Duran Duran and Jason Derulo at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. The concert officially ushers in Super Bowl weekend in North Texas. Tickets for the Feb. 3 gig are $45 and $60 through Ticketmaster.

The series continues Friday, Feb. 4 with the NFL Pepsi Musica Super Bowl Fiesta, a Latin music-themed night. Performers for that event will be announced soon. Tickets are $45 through Ticketmaster.

Both nights include to-be-named celebrity hosts and guest appearances by NFL players. Thursday's show starts at 7 p.m., while Friday's concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. each night. Also, VH1 is set to broadcast part of the Thursday show live.

Photo: Kid Rock performs a halftime show during a game between the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions on November 25 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images).

Every time I log on to iTunes, I am always prompted with something to the effect of, "Join Ping!" I've never done so because I'm not sure exactly what it is (it's billed as a "social network for music"...which doesn't help much). But then I thought, "Hey, if it helps me find new music, I could give it a try".

So, readers, what do you think about it? Do you use it? Is it worth it? Does it help you find new music? Sound off in the comments - in the meantime, I'll be on Pandora.

Even though we've been celebrating the best in 2010's music scene, there have been a few doozies to drop this year. Yahoo! recently posted its picks for worst music videos of the year, with a list boasting Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera and Susan Boyle -- and there is plenty of awful to behold.

What do you think? Are there other music videos or songs from this year you think should make the list? Let me know in the comments!

Coldplay's new single, "Christmas Lights," is my favorite holiday song released in the last few years. Here's a video from Dec. 10 of the band performing the song at the Liverpool Royal Court with a little help from Take That's Gary Barlow and Chris Martin's father as an Elvis towards the end of the song. Enjoy!

Here's the original music video, released a few weeks ago:

More wistful holiday magic for A.V. Club readers! Their Holiday Undercover series continues today with Fran Healy of Brit-rock band Travis doing a melancholy* acoustic version of Joni Mitchell's "River."

*Is there any other kind when it comes to this song?

Fran Healy covers Joni Mitchell

Are you fan of the song? What's your favorite non-traditional Christmas song?

Sufjan Steven's sound is perfect for the reflective, sentimental time of Christmas. So feast your ears on his take on "Silent Night:"

Sufjan Stevens - Silent Night by Hypetrak

Vulture reports more tracks available at BBC 6 Mix, including this original tune done with Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National and Richard Parry of Arcade Fire.

Sufjan Stevens - Barcarola (You Must Be a Christmas Tree) by Hypetrak

From AP:

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys are bringing their '90s boy-band magic to Dick Clark's annual New Year's Eve TV special.

The two bands, who have melded their monikers to become NKOTBSB, performed together live for the first time on the Dick Clark-produced American Music Awards last month. The supergroup plans to tour North America together next summer.

My question is: will they be performing an actual mash-up of their songs or is AP just referring to the mashing of two bands performing together? Either way, will you be watching?

One of my favorite artists (of this year or any), Kate Nash, took part in The A.V. Club's Holiday Undercover project and sang a rendition of "Merry Christmas Everybody" by Slade. Apparently, the song is a big hit in the U.K., but hasn't quite made it to the States for some reason. I hope that changes because I really like it. Check it out and see what you think.

The Metal God, that would be Rob Halford, brought his namesake group to House of Blues Monday night to perform 90 minutes of classic heavy metal music for a boisterous, adoring crowd. This is not a full review of the concert, just a few extra thoughts on four not-so-obvious tunes Halford pulled out onstage.

Nailed to the Gun - The one Fight track that Halford performed. Propulsive, and it put the audience in metal heaven. It's from the 1993 Fight album, War of Words.

Drop Out - An encore tune, perhaps not as well-known, taken from Halford's 2006/2007 Metal God Essentials, Vol. 1.

Heart of a Lion - Roaring, of course. The song is from Judas Priest's Turbo sessions (1986) but was not released until the 2004 5-CD compilation, Metalogy.

A Christmas song with an unprintable name - It was Halford's one deviation from the set list. Totally irreverent and hilarious. I'm not sure if he's ever recorded it.

For a full review of the Halford concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment.

Photo:The Metal God in full worship Monday night at House of Blues (Jason Janik/Special to DMN).

Last week, She & Him stopped by Conan to perform and stuck around to provide a web exclusive video for Team Coco: a low-key cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

For me, Zooey Deschanel's effortlessly old-fashioned sound evokes the original version of the song, sung by Judy Garland. What do you think?

If you've already bought Justin Bieber's line of nail polish and bedsheets, then it's about time for a new obsession, right? The Star Telegram reports:

Arlington-based Panini America, a publisher of sports and entertainment collectibles, announced this week that it has launched a Bieber collection that includes 150 cards and 30 stickers. Some 500 cards autographed by Bieber have been randomly inserted into the sets, the company said. Sets of five cards and one sticker cost $1.99 each.

The collection will be available at Bed Bath & Beyond, F.Y.E., Target, Toys R Us and Walmart stores nationwide.

The article also includes a fun reminder that Bieber is Canadian, a fact I always forget:

Bieber said in a statement that he's excited about the collection.

"I always dreamed of being a hockey player and having my own trading card," he said. "I remember collecting hockey cards, so the idea that kids are going to enjoy my cards like I enjoyed my hockey cards is amazing!"

Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Comedy geniuses Jack Black and Jason Segel recorded a version of "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" and the U.S. proceeds from the sale are going to Blue Star Families (bluestarfam.org).

The song will be sold exclusively on iTunes starting today, but you can hear it now by watching the animated music video on CollegeHumor.com. Enjoy!