Is it weird that a Jewish person who wasn’t allowed to listen to Christmas music growing up is now getting paid to write about Christmas music? As the Cure say, I don’t care if you don’t — life is full of delicious ironies. Just don’t tell my parents.
Anyway, it’s that time of year again: As you no doubt know by now, we are now well past the point where artists have started to release new holiday songs, even if we are still weeks away from December. And as my colleague/former pop columnist Chris DeVille used to do for the past few Xmas seasons, I’m listing out this year’s bumper crop of new holiday pop songs. If there’s an album attached, I’ll be sure to mention it.
Let’s get into it!
Alicia Keys – “December Back 2 June”
On her first-ever Christmas album, Alicia Keys goes into ’70s Soul Train mode on the record’s lead single, “December Back 2 June,” which is co-written by Tayla Parx. The layered (but not overloaded) track has jingles, scooby-doo-bops, and a feel-good rhythm that honestly shows way more effort than you’d think Keys would care to put in at this comfortable stage in her career. Good for her!
Andrea, Matteo And Virginia Bocelli – “The Greatest Gift”
Classical singer Andrea Bocelli is no stranger to the holiday album — his first one of those, My Christmas came out in 2009. This year, Bocelli teams up with his kids, Matteo (24) and Virginia (10), for a collaborative Christmas album titled A Family Christmas. Piano-led lead single “The Greatest Gift” is a nice bit of schmaltz.
Backstreet Boys – “Last Christmas”
There’s something oddly comforting about Backstreet Boys still being together after all this time. While their Y2K counterparts *NSYNC recorded their first Xmas album in 1998(!), 2022 marks BSB’s first Yuletide-themed record: A Very Backstreet Christmas, which features a serviceable cover of Wham!’s 1984 classic “Last Christmas.” (Note: This list is technically meant to focus on original Christmas songs as opposed to covers, but I figure BSB merits a mention. Mostly because I was shocked to learn they had never released any holiday music before this.)
Chris Isaak – “Almost Christmas”
On his second Christmas album (following 2004’s Christmas), crooner Chris Isaak has thrown together 13 tracks of yuletide covers as well as originals. One of those Everybody Knows It’s Christmas originals is “Almost Christmas,” which rolls out in a snappy, vintage rockabilly style.
Chris Ruggiero – “Grown-Up Christmas List” (Feat. Darlene Love)
Well, if this isn’t sweeter than a gingerbread house covered in gumdrops. Sixties girl-group icon and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” singer Darlene Love, now 81, has teamed up with 23-year-old ’50s pop/rock singer Chris Ruggiero to duet on “Grown-Up Christmas List.” It’s the first time Love has recorded a Christmas song (save for her 2005 SNL song “Christmastime For The Jews“) since 1995’s “I Listen To The Bells” with Luther Vandross. Look for “Grown-Up Christmas List” on Ruggiero’s new holiday LP Christmas With Chris Ruggiero.
Crowder – “The Elf Song”
Contemporary Christian artist Crowder released a holiday album, Milk & Cookies: A Merry Crowder Christmas, last month. One of the originals is an “elf awareness” song called “The Elf Song,” which, upon further inspection, is all about worker’s rights??! “Santa only pay ’em cookies when they working that overtime/ Gotta make that quota, can’t do it in a 9 to 5/ That ain’t right/ Let’s talk about fairness.” There’s also a line in there about how Santa pays elves paltry “M&M wages.” Which… OK! Get those elves on a Polar Pension Plan!
Debbie Gibson – “Christmas Star”
It’s equally wild to think that, after all this time, ’80s pop titan Debbie Gibson has never released a Christmas album. That changed in October, though, with Winterlicious, which features…
Read More: New Christmas Music Playlist 2022