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On November 7, 2024, Billboard announced that BTS' Kim Taehyung will release a pre-recorded duet of White Christmas with legendary pop singer Bing Crosby on December 6. The song, originally released in 1945, was the lead single from Crosby's Merry Christmas album.
Bing Crosby (1903-1977) was a popular singer and actor, known for hits like White Christmas, Swinging on a Star, and Pennies from Heaven, and for his influence across music, radio, television, and film.
White Christmas became the best-selling single of all time, a title it held for nearly 60 years. Bing Crosby also starred in over 70 feature films, including White Christmas (1954), Holiday Inn (1942), and Going My Way (1944), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
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Billboard reported that according to Guinness World Records, White Christmas earned the best-selling record ever by selling 50 million copies globally. The song also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1948.
Meanwhile, in a statement to Billboard, Kim Taehyung said,
“I’m so grateful to have had the chance to be featured in a song with my all-time favorite jazz artist, Bing Crosby. I grew up listening to his song ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time’ countless times a day, and I feel incredibly fortunate and honored to have sung along on ‘White Christmas’ with the voice of someone I consider an idol.”
Taehyung continued:
“Being a huge fan of his, I sang with the utmost sincerity and admiration for him. I hope many people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed singing it. Lastly, I wish a lovely holiday season to everyone listening to the song.”
Kim Taehyung's It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 2022 cover and Bing Crosby's family's views on the upcoming release
The legendary American musician is survived by his daughter, Mary Crosby, and son, Harry Crosby. The artist's daughter told Billboard how delighted they are about Bing Crosby's posthumous collaboration with the BTS sensation.
“As a family, we are thrilled to have V and Dad singing together on this ultimate Christmas song. Their voices blend beautifully, capturing the holiday spirit in the best possible way.”
Harry Crosby added that they feel grateful that their late father's "timeless Christmas song" will get shared with the world again due to BTS' Taehyung.
“We are happy that V will help share the joy of this timeless Christmas song.”
On December 24, 2022, GMA Network reported that Kim Taehyung released a cover of Bing Crosby's It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas on BTS' official YouTube channel, SoundCloud, and Weverse.
The BTS idol's rendition climbed to No. 8 on the Holiday Airplay, No. 30 on the Holiday Streaming Songs, and No. 14 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales charts.
In 2002, Bing Crosby’s rendition of White Christmas was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and holds a place in the National Recording Registry as one of the most influential American recordings of all time. The song ranked No. 1 on the Holiday Airplay chart in 2008. It also entered the Top 10 of the same chart in every holiday season consecutively between 2002 and 2016.
