Grande and Meg joined Fallon for an original, pandemic themed Christmas track
Jimmy Fallon is bringing on the Christmas season with Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion on their new track “It Was a Masked Christmas,” accompanied by a music video directed by Dan Opsal.
“It Was a Masked Christmas” and the new video unsurprisingly lean into the experiences of the pandemic holiday seasons of the past two years. Fallon sings about covering noses and mouths and only getting Wi-Fi for Zoom calls from the laundry room, while Meg raps about putting Purell on everything from the Turkey to the egg nog and candy canes. Grande meanwhile, goes for a more typical theme of longing for someone during the winter months, singing of needing “someone to hold at night, because it’s gonna snow.”
Notably, vaccine booster shots were a prominent theme in much of the song. During the video, Grande and Fallon are shown standing in line waiting for their shots, while during the track’s chorus Fallon sings, “It’s Christmas time, we’ll be in line for a booster.”
“Y’all know what time it is, it’s time to get those boosters,” Meg says at the start of the video, accompanied with her signature “agh” ad-lib.
Otherwise, the video shows the three stars staying warm inside or dancing and skiing in the snow, along with shots of talking masks and one dancer covered head to toe in surgical masks.
Fallon is no stranger to jumping on a Christmas tune with a-list musicians; last year he performed a duet of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” with Dolly Parton, and in 2017, he did a rendition of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” alongside McCartney and the Roots.
Hit-Boy stepped into a more energetic and party driven sound on his latest single "Franchise Boy," released exclusively through YouTube. The record leans on a smooth and stripped back soul sample while also nodding to Dem Franchise Boyz and their classic track "White Tee." Hit-Boy rides the production effortlessly, delivering confident bars packed with flexes about his success and high end lifestyle. The song blends hints of Jersey club rhythms with touches of Miami bass influence, giving the track an addictive and upbeat feel. "Franchise Boy" feels like a strong preview of what could be another exciting run of music from Hit-Boy.
Release Date: Monday, May 18
Genre: Hip-Hop
Album: N/A
Quotable Lyrics from Franchise Boy
N***as had said it was love,
But it wasn't love, I'm really above
The s**t you be talking, I'm floating and walking
In Margiela runners, you won't see them often