By David Farrell
You read that right!
There will be no newsletter released next Monday, Wednesday or Friday as the FYI team is taking a break to kick-back and enjoy a holiday break. We promise to return refreshed and ready to roll up our sleeves and get back to the business of the day on Monday, July 15. Until then, happy trails.
Cheers – Team FYI
Bryan Adams & Friends
The track features Alan Doyle, The Sheepdogs, Alessia Cara and Barenaked Ladies. Plus, country star Sacha lands on Country with her rendition of a classic Christmas track.
Bryan Adams is leaning into the holiday season.
The Canadian rocker debuts on the Billboard Canada AC Airplay chart with “California Christmas.” Dated Dec. 20, the original track arrives a mere few days before the big holiday.
Earlier this month, Adams released the sun-soaked festive anthem, which puts a bright west coast spin on the Christmas season. Powered by a warm string section, plucky acoustic guitars and a steady drum beat, the track is designed to dispel any holiday blues.
But Adams isn’t doing it alone. He enlisted a strong group of homegrown talent, including pop singer Alessia Cara and musician Alan Doyle (of Great Big Sea fame), plus rock bands Barenaked Ladies and The Sheepdogs. What makes the collaboration stand out is how harmonious everything sounds — probably because everyone was in the same room.
While being in-person isn’t always possible due to scheduling, the group recorded the track live at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studio for the taping of Bryan Adams & Friends 'A Great Big Holiday Jam TV special. The single captures warmth, joy and musical chemistry on his collaborative Christmas album, A Great Big Holiday Jam, released earlier this month.
In addition to the stacked Canadian talent on this track, alt-pop hitmaker Lights is present on multiple songs on the project. When Adams met the Ontario native for the first time during the TV special, he was “blown away” by her talent, he told Billboard Canada Women in Music 2025 attendees when co-presenting Lights with the first-ever Visionary Award.
A Canadian country star is putting her own spin on a holiday classic. Rising country star Sacha arrives at No. 46 on the Country Airplay chart, with her rendition of “Where Are You Christmas.”
Sacha is tackling the spirit of fellow country singer Faith Hill’s “Where Are You Christmas,” originally featured in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and was co-written by the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey. The emerging singer’s deeply emotional delivery reinforces the feelings of love and longing during the holidays. Beyond the song’s place in pop culture, Sacha’s rendition is in honour of her late dog, Trooper.
“This song really speaks to change, loss, and the ache of missing someone you love,” she says. “Recording ‘Where Are You Christmas’ felt deeply personal for me this year, as I’ve been missing my sweet Trooper so much. But through the music, I found moments of love and light again — and I hope anyone who’s missing someone this season can feel that same comfort and connection.”
Christmas songs have taken over the All-Format chart as radio stations do their annual switch to holiday hits: Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad climbs 32-21, while Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” rises six spots to No. 23. Brenda Lee moves up to No. 25 with “Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree,” Wham!’s “Last Christmas rises 38-27 and Bobby Helm’s “Jingle Bell Rock” makes a 14 spot jump to No. 28.
Burl Ives hits No. 34 with “Holly Jolly Christmas,” followed by Andy Williams’ It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” at No. 35. “Do They Know It's Christmas?” the Band Aid charity track is two spots down at No. 37. The latest addition is Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” debuting at No. 38.
Outside of the holiday hits, there is a series of Canadians arriving on the Airplay charts. Over on Hot AC, indie rock band Valley debuts with “Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden” at No. 40. On Country, Dan Davidson’s “Ain't That The Truth” arrives at No. 55.
Sloan’s “Dream Destroyer” — a proven Airplay chart hit — is on the Mainstream Rock chart while CanRock legends Big Wreck shoot for No. 40 with “Dog With A Gun." The top 30 of Modern Rock scores three debuts, including Cold Fame’s “Girls Gotta Eat” at No. 32, The Boojums’ “Burnin Up” at No. 36 and The Blue Stones' “Happy Cry” at No. 39.
Topping this week’s Airplay charts, unsurprisingly, is Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia.” Swift maintains her No. 1 placement on All-Format, AC, CHR/Top 40 and Hot AC. At No. 2 are Justin Bieber’s “Daisies" and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” on All-Format and AC, respectively. Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” climbs one spot to No. 2 on CHR/Top 40, while HUNTER/X’s KPop Demon Hunters hit “Golden” spends another week in second place on Hot AC.
After spending one week at No. 1 on the Country chart, Josh Ross' "Hate How You Look" is dethroned by Riley Green and Ella Langley's "Don't Mind If I Do." On the Mainstream Rock chart, Aerosmith & YUNGBLUD’s “My Only Angel” climbs back to No. 1, and Winnipeg’s Boy Golden nabs a third week at the top on Modern Rock.
Check out the Billboard Canada Airplay charts here.
