Whether you are listening all year round or waiting until Dec. 1, Christmas music is one of the most iconic genres of American music. Songs such as “White Christmas” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” sung by The Rat Pack never fail to invoke nostalgic memories of childhood Christmases. And how to describe Mariah Carey’s infamous “All I Want For Christmas Is You”?
But while Carey lucked out in inserting a modern song into traditional Christmas canon, most artists stick to covering the classics. Every year sees a few new albums from various singers and groups. This year, artists like Kelly Clarkson and Paul Kelly have released Christmas albums to ring in the holiday spirit.
One album of note is “HAPPINESS is…Christmas!”, released by musical theatre legend Kristin Chenoweth. Chenoweth is most well-known for originating the role of Glinda in the Broadway musical “Wicked.” “HAPPINESS is…Christmas!” is Chenoweth’s second Christmas album, the first one released in 2008.
The album features familiar songs such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as well as originals like the medley “Happiness (Is Christmas) / Christmas Time Is Here,” a mashup of “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Happiness.” The latter is the final number in “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the 1999 Broadway play in which Chenoweth starred as Sally. Chenoweth released her album in October of this year, but this isn’t the earliest Christmas album that has been released.
Kelly Clarkson released her album, “When Christmas Comes Around…” in October as well, but released the first single off the album, “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You),” in September. According to an article from USA Today, this song is very in line with the empowering songs such as “Since U Been Gone” that made the American Idol-winner famous, saying, “an ex cannot ruin Christmas time, the New Year or anything else.”
This album features original songs co-penned and sung with artists such as Chris Stapleton and Ariana Grande. According to USA Today, this is Clarkson’s first Christmas album since “Wrapped in Red,” which was released in 2013.
Australian singer Paul Kelly waited a little longer to release his Christmas album. His album, “Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train,” was released on Nov. 19 and, according to NME, is actually his first Christmas album.
Along with traditional songs, Kelly’s album includes “a Latin hymn, an Irish folk ballad, and a version of ‘O Holy Night’ titled ‘Tapu te Pō’ sung entirely in te reo Māori.” Kelly’s album also features singers such as Marlon Williams and Linda Bull.
“There is a double-edged sword to Christmas music because every year it is everywhere, pumped to you in supermarkets and malls,” Kelly said in a statement about the album. “But on the other hand, there are so many great Christmas songs and so much to explore.’”
While Christmas has evolved into a very different holiday from its religious origins, the spirit of Christmas remains the same: hope. And if there’s anything this world needs after the last year and a half, it’s hope. Christmas music is something that can bring us together, with songs that can be recognized across the world, forwarding that message of hope for a future that we can embrace together.
