Ten years ago, Kylie Minogue released her first Christmas album, "Kylie Christmas", a collection of classic and original holiday tunes. Now Aussie pop superstar has just released an update of the album, "Fully Wrapped" which features selections from the original album plus three new tracks.
With "Office Party", Minogue details wanting to a wild, sexy holiday experience like you might have during a celebration at your place of employment. "Hot in December" is a techno-throbbing Christmas love song that will get you ready to get on the dance floor. And the warm and cozy ballad, "This Time of Year" will perfectly get you into the holiday spirit.
Olivia Dean has had a very good year. The twenty-six year old British pop singer made a huge impact over the last twelve months with a collection of worldwide hits; "Nice To each Other", "Man I Need", "So Easy (To Fall In Love)" and recently dazzled with her live performance on "Saturday Night Live". To cap off this impressive run, attention has been brought to her version of the Nat "King" Cole holiday classic, "The Christmas Song". Originally recorded by Dean back in 2021, the young vocalist beautifully captures the spirit of this lovely song. Here she is performing the song live at Westminster Abbey with a full orchestra.
BRYAN ADAMS
The Canadian rocker, Bryan Adams has just released an original holiday single, "California Christmas". Adams (who co-wrote the song with his long-time music partner, Jim Vallance) is surrounded by a group of fellow Canadian artists, Alessia Cara, Barenaked Ladies, Alan Doyle and The Sheepdogs to help him record this rocking X-mas tune live. "California Christmas" clearly expresses a desire to have a sunny and warm holiday season that is unique to the West Coast.
MEGHAN TRAINOR
"Gifts For Me" is a new Christmas song from pop artist, Meghan Trainor. This amusing single was inspired by Trainor not being exactly thrilled with some of the Christmas gifts she had received from her husband, actor Daryl Sabara. So she figured it will better to just buy gifts for herself, especially since she'll know that they'll be perfect (and won't have to be exchanged). The singer, best known for her number one hit single, "All About The Bass", had released a holiday album, "A Very Trainor Christmas" five years ago and wanted to add something special and fun for this upcoming season.
Coco Jones began her career as an actress, appearing as a teen in several programs on the Disney Channel. Throughout this time, she had an interest in making music, releasing a self-titled EP in 2010. Twelve years later, Jones signed with Def Jam Records, releasing another EP, "What I Didn't Tell You". She had a breakout hit with "ICU", earning her five Grammy nominations (winning Best R&B Performance) and the single selling over a million copies.
Although we're still waiting for her debut album to arrive, Jones has delivered a four track EP, "Coco By The Fireplace" that features all-original songs to fill you with holiday cheer. These tracks are smooth and soulful, offering Christmas themed songs on love, empowerment and desire.
CLAY AIKEN
Clay Aiken may have placed second during his time competing on the second season of "American Idol" but he still went on to have a moderately successful music career. He recorded six studio albums and sold over five million records. When his music career cooled down, Aiken would make a move into politics, running as a Democrat for the US House of Representatives in his home state of North Carolina in 2014, winning the primary but losing the election. He tried again nine years later yet failed to win the primary. But he never completely abandoned his love of music. It's been twelve years since his last album and now Aiken has released his second Christmas record, "Christmas Bells Are Ringing". This collection has the now forty-six year old singer delivering his distinctive pop style to versions of classic holiday tunes like "Most Wonderful Time of the Year", "Merry Christmas, Darling" and "Ava Maria".
Last year, Cher released her very first Christmas album which included a disco tune that proved to be very popular. Now she has taken "DJ Play A Christmas Song" up a notch by releasing this as a newly remixed duet with Kelly Clarkson. These two legendary voices are trading verses to make this Christmas dance song even more thrilling.
Leave it to the one and only Cher to make us realize that the world doesn't have a proper Christmas disco song. The legendary pop icon has released "DJ Play a Christmas Song" with this dance track just one of the songs from her very first holiday album, appropreiately titled, "Christmas". And just like she has done throughout her extraordinary career of seven decades, this collection features various genres of music she has dabbled in throughout her recording career. The album is a perfect mix of new songs and Christmas covers with special appearances by Michael Bublé, Tyga, Cyndi Lauper and Stevie Wonder who lend their support on several songs. And there is a cover of the Christmas classic, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" which is now a duet with the song's original singer, Darlene Love. The two singers have known each other since the beginning of their professional careers when a teenage Cher performed backing vocals on Love's 1963 version.
BRANDY
Now signed to Motown Records, the gifted actor and singer, Brandy has released her very first Christmas album as her debut on the legendary music label. "Christmas With Brandy" is a perfect mix of original compositions (all co-wriiten by Brandy) and holiday classics, all done in her signature style of smooth, soulful vocals. Brandy is making this record a true family affair with the addition of her twenty-one year old daughter, Sy'Rai, a rising singer in her own right, who appears on the original track, "Christmas Gift" in a rousing duet. And be sure to check out Brandy as an actress in the Netflix holiday comedy, "Best. Christmas. Ever.", available to stream now.
RUPAUL
The legacy of RuPaul has grown considerable since his first album, "Super Model of the World" way back in 1993. From the groundbreaking reality competition television show, "RuPaul's Drag Race", expanding continuiously with international spin-offs to once the face of major cosmetics campaign to a co-host of a morning radio show to hosting a game show to receiving a Tony Award for "Best Musical" as a producer to writing an upcoming memoir, RuPaul has achieved many amazing accomplishments that some might have thought would be impossible for a drag queen. Now the new "Essential Christmas" is essentially a greatest hits from RuPaul's previous three holiday-themed albums. But there is one new song, "Baby Doll", another fun, beat-driven Christmas tune.
And finally, here is a brand-new music video of Brenda Lee's classic holiday tune, "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree". This lively clip features Lee performing in a family setting during the Christmas holiday with appearances by country music stars, Trisha Yearwood and Tanya Tucker. But the biggest news is that the now seventy-nine year old vocalist has finally reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Rocking", sixty-five years after first recording this song at the incredible age of thirteen.
Alicia Keys has been delivering her blend of piano-driven, classic soul with hip-hop beats since the turn of this century. And now Keys brings her distinctive style to her very first Christmas album, "Santa Baby", released through her own label, Alicia Keys Records and available exclusively through Apple Music. This collection is made up of seven covers of holiday standards (including her version of the title track first made famous by the legendary Eartha Kitt in 1953) and four original compositions written or co-written by the artist. Keys has created a warm and smooth soulful vibe with this album, a very fine addition to the ever expanding options available in Christmas music. Enjoy the first single and video of the original tune, "December Back 2 June" and her stylish version of the title track:
JOSS STONE
Joss Stone began her professional music career at the tender age of sixteen with the 2003 release of "The Soul Sessions", an album of soul song covers that had became popular long before she was even born. What made this acclaimed record (and Stone) so impressive is how this young blonde Brit was able to dig down deep to convey the passion of these songs, possessing a voice that was convincingly mature and soulful. Yet despite this dazzling debut, she surprisingly did not become a major presence in pop music. But the gifted Stone went on to continuously release new music that effectively brought back a feeling of vintage r&b. With "Merry Christmas, Love", the now thirty-five year old artist delivers a yuletide collection that features plenty of traditional holiday classics plus two new songs; "If You Believe" and "Bring on Christmas Day" that are both written by Stone. The first release from the album is "What Christmas Means To Me", Stone's take on the song that first appeared on Stevie Wonder's Christmas album back in 1967 and we have the live version of "Bring on Christmas Day":
Joni Mitchell was one of the recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors, a well-deserved award that celebrates a lifetime of achievement in the performing arts. And with Christmas here, Mitchell's classic 1971 song, "River" is often played although it's wistful sentiment doesn't fit easily into a typical holiday standard. Set during Christmas, the song explores the recent end of a relationship, focusing on the mixed emotions of pain, regret and loneliness that is felt at this time. "River" has been covered by many artists over the years and now a beautiful new animated music video for Mitchell's version has just been released. This clip perfectly captures the mood and poignancy of this song with expressive, watercolor-like imagery.
The musical sounds of FKA Twigs have always been ethereal and progressive, merging smooth r&b with hard-edged electronic beats. The British artist, born Tahliah Barnett, has been working on a follow-up to her critically acclaimed second studio album, "Magdalene" from 2019 but the pandemic and some acting (she appeared in "Honey Boy", the drama written by actor, Shia LaBeouf that was based on his life as a child actor) created some delay. But now FKA Twigs has released two new songs; "Tears in the Club", a sensuous alt-soul track that features The Weeknd and "Measure of a Man" for the soundtrack of the upcoming film, "The King’s Man" which includes a rap interlude by Central Cee. "Tears" is the first track from her upcoming EP, "Capri Sun" due out early next year. The music video for the song features surreal imagery and slick choreography by Sean Bankhead. And "Measure of a Man" moves in a different direction, delivering the dramatic flair of a James Bond theme song.
For her eighth studio album, Alicia Keys has created a concept album called "Keys". This two-disc collection features on one side, "Originals" which Keys says features her "classic side" while the other, "Unlocked" has another "sonic experience" with some of the same songs. Keys co-wrote and produced the ten originals songs, then enlisted some top writers/producers like Mike Will Made It, Sia, Raphael Saadiq and husband, Swizz Beatz along with appearances by a few musical collaborators, Khalid, Lil Wayne, Pusha T, Swae Lee and Brandi Carlile to work on the other side. There are also six additional songs found on both sides. This an ambitious and exciting work by a incredibly gifted performer. Here is a short clip that visually highlights songs from the album and the "original" single, "Best of Me" which contains a sample of "Cherish The Day" by Sade.
Words can not properly express how much I miss Whitney Houston who I think remains one of the greatest vocalists ever in pop music. With the Christmas holiday approaching, here is a rare, live rendition of Houston's version of "Do You Hear What I Here" to help put you in the proper spirit. She originally recorded this song in 1987 for the first "A Very Special Christmas", a compilation album by the hottest pop stars of the day with the proceeds to benefit the Special Olympics. Houston made an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1990 and performed this song.
For her very first holiday album, "I Dream of Christmas", Norah Jones brings her smooth and smoky vocals to a collection that offers half of the record with original songs she wrote or co-wrote with producer, Leon Michels and the rest features her versions of some familiar Christmas classics. The forty-two year old jazz-pop vocalist has delivered the perfect record to play in the background during a festive holiday party or while snuggling up to a loved one on a cold winter evening. Have a listen to one of the new songs, "Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)":
KELLY CLARKSON
It's only been about eight years since Kelly Clarkson released her first Christmas album, "Wrapped in Red" but since the singer has expressed how much she loves this holiday, why not record another one? "When Christmas Comes Around. . . " has several new songs she co-wrote including the first single, "Christmas Isn't Canceled (Just You)" (which seems might be directed at her former husband), "Glow", a duet with Chris Stapleton and "Santa, Can't You Hear Me" that features Ariana Grande. And there are covers of some holiday favorites, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas", Wham!'s "Last Christmas", "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Santa Baby" first made famous by Eartha Kitt. Clarkson, the unexpected host of a popular daytime talk show, had a holiday special of the same title out on December 1st on NBC to promote the album and the program is now available to stream on Peacock. Enjoy a couple of tracks from Clarkson's latest Christmas album:
DARREN CRISS
Darren Criss is best known as an actor, first gaining fame on the musical-comedy series, "Glee" before making a big impression playing serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy's anthology series, "American Crime Story" which would win him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Music has always been very important to Criss, having appeared on stage in several Broadway musicals, recording a few EPs and a featured vocalist on "Glee: The Music" soundtrack albums. And for his first studio album is a Christmas record, "A Very Darren Crissmas". But Criss had no interest in making a straight-forward holiday album. This collection features reimagined holiday classics and rarely covered Christmas tunes with country artist, Lainey Wilson and fellow actor, Evan Rachel Wood making appearances. Criss will be performing many songs off of the album during a concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on December 20th. This performance will also be available to livestream. In the meantime, here's a bit of some Christmas jazz-pop with Criss teaming up with Adam Lambert on the song, "(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag":
Whether you like them or not, 'tis the season for Christmas songs to be played on an endless, relentless loop. You will hear the same songs involving 'ole Saint Nick, a deformed reindeer, a jolly, talking snowman and chestnuts roasting over an open fire many times over from a wide variety of musicians covering these tunes. Some of these versions are certainly better than others but it's really the songs themselves that take us back to memories of the childhood excitement on Christmas morning and the family coming together to celebrate the holiday.
The Christmas Songbook, which are now cherished classics, where largely written throughout the 1940's, '50's and '60's. There are more recent songs that have become Christmas standards like "Wonderful Christmastime" from Paul McCartney, Wham!'s "Last Christmas", The Carpenters', "Merry Christmas, Darling" and of course, Mariah Carey's '90's holiday earworm, "All I Want For Christmas". The Los Angeles Times has complied a list of what they consider to be the best songs of Christmas over the last fifty years. It is a diverse collection made up of songs, old and new, covering various genres of music. Some of these songs I am very familiar with while others I had never heard before but they are all great songs to help celebrate the holiday.
After spending time making holiday music, mentoring aspiring singers on "The Voice" and dabbling in country-pop with her fiancé, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani is returning to her musical roots with the sounds of her band, No Doubt. The singer has just dropped a new song called, "Let Me Reintroduce Myself". This self-referential track, set to a ska beat, announces that this is not a comeback for Stefani but simply about reminding people she's still around. And while it's a clever idea, I don't think the song is strong enough to get Stefani comfortably back on the charts. But perhaps it still might introduce her to a new generation of fans. Check it out and judge for yourself:
Aluna Francis is one half of the British electronic duo, AlunaGeorge with George Reid who burst on to the scene in the US with a remix by DJ Snake of the single, "You Know You Like It" in 2014. After working with Reid for over ten years, Francis decided to take a break and create music on her own. Aluna has released her debut solo album, "Renaissance" and this collection dives deeper in to the roots of dance music, reaching back to African rhythms, funk, early 80's house and garage music. Aluna explores the history and contributions of Black artists in the genre and how dance is much more than EDM. It's an interesting album, filled with unexpected beats and sounds working very well together.
Here are a few new Christmas videos for your holiday enjoyment:
And finally in the category of "If It ain't broke, remake it", Todrick Hall has reworked his hit COVID-inspired tune and video, "Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs" in to a holiday-themed new version entitled, "Bells, Bows, Gifts, Trees". Sure, it's a little lazy but still quite fun and clever. And the video will put you in a good mood and deliver a some much needed Christmas spirit.
It's been over thirty years since country music legend, Dolly Parton has released a Christmas album and her latest collection features the cute title, "A Very Dolly Christmas". The singer had actually began working on the project back in 2009 when she released the single, "Comin' Home for Christmas" but I guess it took some time before the busy Parton was able to complete the album. "A Very Dolly Christmas" features mostly original songs by Parton and there are several guests on board which includes Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bublé, Willie Nelson and "Tonight Show" host, Jimmy Fallon on a cover of Mariah Carey's now-holiday classic, "All I Want For Christmas". Enjoy a couple of fun songs from the album:
LIL NAS X
Lil Nas X seems to be in the holiday spirit and has dropped a new song in celebration. The twenty-one year old hip-hop performer born Montero Hill has released "Holiday" but it's really more about his incredible, rapid success with his country-rap hybrid, "Old Town Road" and his fame than about Santa Claus. I find it unlikely that the song itself will become a holiday classic but it's really the music video for the track which implies a Christmas theme. This clip is a visual wonder (directed by Gibson Hazard and Nas X) and features Lil Nas X in a futuristic setting taking over as ole Saint Nick.
CARLY RAE JEPSEN
The Canadian pop singer, Carly Rae Jepsen has taken a different approach to the holidays with her recently released single, "It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries". Jepsen, who co-wrote the song with Benjamin Romans, CJ Baran and James Flannigan, examines the rarely discussed difficulties with family dysfunction during Christmas that can almost ruin the festivities. Despite the dark subject matter, this ditty is cute and playful, humorously showing another side of the celebration that most people try to forget about.
I think Jessie J, the British pop-soul vocalist, is vastly underrated as a singer and hasn't become nearly as popular here in the US as I think she should. The singer, born Jessica Cornish, has recently released her fifth album but it is unexpectedly a Christmas collection. "This Christmas Day" features many of the familiar holiday classics like "Jingle Bells", "Silent Night", and "White Christmas" yet they are delivered in great jazzy-flavored soul renditions. What is even more impressive is that Jessie J was able to attract several top names to produce the album. That includes David Foster, Babyface (who also provided vocals on their take of "The Christmas Song"), Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins who also co-wrote the title track with Jessie which is the only original song on the album. I think this is one of the better modern Christmas albums out there and you should definitely check it out. Here are a few tracks for you to preview:
If you are looking for a gift and they are a fan of classic soul music, I have a suggestion that might help you out. Bruce Talamon, a photographer who focused on black entertainers, has recently released a beautiful photo book, "Bruce W. Talamon: Soul. R&B. Funk. Photographs 1972-1982". This breathtaking collection, published by Taschen, featureshis images which document most of the popular acts of the era who were making influential music, with many of the pictures that have never been seen before.
Talamon, who was one of the very few African-American photojournalists working at the time, took a look back over his forty year career and the roughly five thousand photos he had taken during that time to put this book together. He had made it clear to his editor that he wasn't interest in only showing these performers on stage but also using the more intimate, behind-the-scenes moments with these musical talents.
All of the major players of the day are certainly present like Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Jackson 5, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic and Aretha to name just a few. But there are also remarkable pictures of performers who had a briefer moment of fame like Billy Paul (who was Talamon's first cover assignment), Thelma Houston, The Dramatics, The Stylistics, and Johnnie Taylor. There is a section of the book devoted to Don Cornelius and his groundbreaking dance television program, "Soul Train" and the 1972 "Wattstax" benefit concert held at the LA Coliseum and featured the hot acts of the day, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, The Bar-Kays and the Staple Singers.
This is an incredible book that would make the perfect gift or perhaps even own yourself.
For his very first Christmas album, "A Legendary Christmas", John Legend has incorporated holiday classics with original songs he has co-written. With Raphael Saadiq handling production, Legend puts his spin on "Silver Bells", "Christmas Time Is Here" and "The Christmas Song" while hoping to create a new holiday classic with his songs, "No Place Like Home", "Wrap Me Up In Your Love" and "By Christmas Eve". Stevie Wonder and Esperanza Spalding drop by on a couple of tracks. If you would like to hear these songs live, be sure to catch Legend on the road to promote the album which he began in November and run through the end of this month. Enjoy the music video for his version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and a live performance of his original tune, "Bring Me Love" from his television Christmas special which features his wife, Chrissy Teigen:
KATY PERRY
Katy Perry had previously released an original Christmas song about four years ago and she has just released another holiday single. "Cozy Little Christmas" is available exclusively through Amazon Music and Perry (who co-wrote and produced the track with Greg Wells and Ferras Alqaisi) delivers a fun and catchy pop song about not wanting expensive gifts and would be perfectly happy simply snuggling-up with a loved one during the holiday.
One more artist has released a new Christmas album this holiday season and that is Motown legend, Smokey Robinson. His very first solo Christmas record is called "Christmas Everyday" and it's released exclusively through Amazon. This ten-song collection is filled with the seventy-seven year old singer's favorite Christmas classics including “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "This Christmas" and “Please Come Home For Christmas” which was one of his mother's favorite holiday songs. The title track is a re-recording of a song Robinson performed with The Miracles back in 1963. Enjoy this new version and have a very Merry Christmas:
It seems to be that you if you are a professional musician with any significant popularity, your career is not complete without a Christmas album. So here are three of the latest who have added to the endless glut of music for the holidays:
SIA
The one pop singer I thought would be the absolutely last to ever record a Christmas album would be Sia. Yet, here it is but "Everyday Is Christmas" is hardly a conventional holiday offering. First, the entire album features all original songs co-written and produced with her longtime collaborator Greg Kurstin. And the songs are not what would be anywhere near traditional yet they are fun, quirky and sometimes moving holiday-themed pop songs. Here is the lyric video for the single, "Santa's Coming For Us" which features a few familiar faces:
FANTASIA
With her album, "Christmas After Midnight", Fantasia has made a record for grown-folks during the holidays. This collection features some of the r&b vocalist's favorite Christmas songs and done is her very distinctive style. Some of the highlights include "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)", a moving version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and a duet with CeeLo Green on their take of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Have a listen to her sassy cover of James Brown's "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto":
GWEN STEFANI
For her first holiday album, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", Gwen Stefani has six original songs on her collection which she also has co-written. The title track is a duet with her country musician beau, Blake Shelton and just like their relationship, the song merges their respective musical genres. The rest of the album features her versions of familiar Christmas classics including "Santa Baby"," White Christmas" and WHAM'!s "Last Christmas". Enjoy the lyric video of Gwen and Blake's Christmas duet:
It seems every musician and their mama has released a Christmas album at some point in their careers. So here is a spotlight on the latest to musically deck them halls and make everything jolly.
KYLIE MINOGUE
For her first Christmas album, appropriately tilted, "Kylie Christmas", Kylie Minogue has put her own special spin to some holiday classics in addition to original material. Minogue has support by an interesting mix of musical talent including duets with Iggy Pop ("Christmas Wrapping"), the new host of "The Late Late Show", James Corden, (a cover of Yaz's "Only You"), her fellow pop-singer sister, Dannii ("100 Degrees" on the Deluxe Edition) and through the magic of technology, Frank Sinatra ("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"). Here is the music video for a new tune, "Every Day's Like Christmas" which was written by Chris Martin of Coldplay and produced by the hot Norwegian production team, Stargate:
ARIANA GRANDE
Oneof today's hottest pop artists, Ariana Grande has just dropped a holiday EP, "Christmas & Chill" that features six original songs. Recorded in a week in her home studio, the twenty-two year old vocalist has made an impressive collection of slo-jam Christmas tunes delivered with a modern r&b flavor. These songs are so good you'll want to listen to them anytime of the year. Check out a couple of tracks to help get you in the holiday spirit:
Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings has brought their retro-soul sound to celebrate the holiday season. With "It's a Holiday Soul Party", the band not only gives those familiar Christmas songs their own brand of funky polish but also delivers a grooving tune explaining the eight days of Hanukkah. There is some rocking new material as well including the touching "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects" and "World of Love" which is a moving plea for peace over the holidays. Enjoy this video of Sharon & The Dap-Kings doing an amazing version of "White Christmas" like you've never heard before:
I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday. I can't think of a better way to express this than with a song and so, here is my favorite new artist, Sam Smith offering an impressive rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas":
