It’s no easy feat to produce a new holiday classic—the kind of song that becomes an indispensable addition to the Christmas musical cannon. Hell, I don’t think anyone has managed to do it since Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and that was almost 30 years ago! Still, every year, a new batch of Christmas albums is unleashed upon the world. And, honestly, I’m always kind of interested to see who’s releasing new seasonal material and how they approach the assignment. Carols? Classic covers? Spirituals, standards or novelty tracks? Or will they try to create something entirely new with the fairly limited seasonal sonic palette of sleighbells, choirs, etc.?
There’s a little of all of the above in this sampling of 2021’s holiday tunes. Whether we’ll be listening to any of these in years to come, only time will tell…
10. “Christmas Star” – Debbie Gibson
This…is a new Christmas song by ’80s teen pop star Debbie Gibson. Perhaps you will hear it in a mall at some point this month, and think, Huh. That’s that new Christmas song by ’80s teen pop star Debbie Gibson.
9. “Small Town Christmas” – Rob Thomas
Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas’s new holiday song starts out sounding a little bit like it could be a The Killers song, which is fine, I guess. But something about the lyrics in the chorus just kinda feels like he threw a bunch of Christmas buzz words in a blender and this is what we get: “Christmas in a small town / snow is falling all around / driving down the long roads / anything is possible / I just feel like we all need some comfort right now.”
8. “Fall in Love at Christmas” – Mariah Carey, Khalid and Kirk Franklin
Solid R&B slow jam from the Queen of Christmas, but…this one just isn’t giving me the holly or the jolly I need in a Christmas song. Come at me, lambs!
7. “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day” – Kristen Chenoweth
There’s a certain amount of cheesiness you have to expect from a Christmas song, and I’m more than happy to check my cynicism at the door—most of it anyway—in favor of just throwing myself into that “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” vibe. That’s very much what this song is serving up: the kind of thing you can dance to with your mom at the family get-together.
6. “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)” – Norah Jones
Jones forgoes the typical jingle bells for a silky smooth little holiday track. Can’t say it really screams “Christmas,” but it’s a lovely song nonetheless. (Also, I wonder how much Parachute paid to have their storefront featured so prominently in the video.)
5. “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man with the Bag” – Darren Criss ft. Adam Lambert
Every holiday playlist needs a healthy dose of big band brass, and this year it comes courtesy of Darren Criss and Adam Lambert. The pair apply their impressive pipes to this rousing 1950 classic, adding a little tongue-in-cheek cabaret patter.
4. “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me” – Kelly Clarkson with Ariana Grande
This track from Kelly Clarkson’s most recent Christmas album—her second—is very much in the spirit of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” It’s not quite the juggernaut that Mariah’s 1994 track is, but it’s definitely worth adding to your holiday party playlist this year.
3. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” – Billy Porter
When it comes to holiday standards, I’ll admit, I’m something of a purist. Why mess with perfection. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis is about as perfect as you can get. But this version by Billy Porter completely reinvents the song, transforming it from a gorgeously melancholy reflection on the passage of time to a joyous celebration of it. I honestly wouldn’t have thought that would work for me, but it absolutely does!
2. “Merry Christmas” – Ed Sheeran & Elton John
Despite the fact that this 100-percent sounds like something that was written for an Old Navy commercial, I don’t hate it. I mean, there’s no denying the fact that Ed Sheeran can write a catchy song. Throw in Elton bloody John and I’m yours!
1. “This Is Life (Merry Christmas)” – The Lumineers ft. Daniel Rodriguez
The danger in trying to write an original Christmas song is sounding clichéd. This one from fold rock band The Lumineers manages to avoid that entirely. It feels like the musical equivalent of a boozy mug of eggnog, the kind of thing that could very well inspire an entire pub to sing along.
