{"id":41932,"date":"2021-12-03T20:04:42","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T20:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=41932"},"modified":"2021-12-03T20:04:42","modified_gmt":"2021-12-03T20:04:42","slug":"mariah-carey-merry-christmas","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/mariah-carey-merry-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"All I Want For Christmas Is Every Other Song On Mariah Carey\u2019s \u2018Merry Christmas\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mariah
Mariah Carey (Photo: Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images for MC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mariah Carey<\/a>\u2019s latest Christmas special<\/a> premieres on AppleTV+ today, promising the singer\u2019s first and only performance of her new holiday single \u201cFall in Love at Christmas<\/a>\u201d with Khalid and Kirk Franklin. The new track, which was released last month, is surprisingly sultry given its seasonal province; jingle bells give way to chimes and bongos. Doubtless, Carey\u2019s legion of devoted fans have been streaming it on repeat for weeks now. But when it comes to the Grammy<\/a>-winner\u2019s holiday output, nothing has yet surpassed 1994\u2019s \u201cAll I Want for Christmas is You.\u201d And I\u2019d be willing to bet that no contemporary Christmas song, by Carey or anyone else, ever will top that Yuletide juggernaut. It is, as many, many<\/em> others have observed before, among the most perfect holiday tunes ever written or performed.<\/p>\n

With all of this in mind, it occurred to me recently that while \u201cAll I Want for Christmas Is You\u201d has become a legit indispensable holiday staple, you never hear any of the other tracks from Merry Christmas<\/em>, the 1994 album on which the track appears. I mean, there are nine other songs on that album, several of which were also singles, and two of which were also written by Carey and producer Walter Afanasieff, the pairing responsible for \u201cAll I Want for Christmas Is You.\u201d It suddenly seems really odd that I\u2019ve never heard any of them.<\/p>\n

My colleague Shelton Boyd-Griffith, on the other hand, is deeply familiar with Merry Christmas<\/em>. A self-described \u201clamb\u201d\u2014the term of art for Carey\u2019s most ardent fans\u2014as a kid, the album was always playing in his household during the holidays. \u201cThe magic of this album is that yes, it\u2019s a Christmas album, but it\u2019s such a great genre fusion album,\u201d he explains, \u201cof traditional, R&B, pop, soul, choral, etc. The way Mariah takes a lot of these Christmas staples, like \u2018O Holy Night,\u2019 and makes them completely her own\u2014chef\u2019s kiss! It\u2019s an album that feels so warm and joyful. I honestly can\u2019t wait to turn it on each year.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that ringing endorsement, I decided to haul out the Christmas lights and immerse myself in the original album\u2019s 10 tracks:<\/p>\n

\"Mariah
Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas<\/i> (Image courtesy of MariahCarey.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cSilent Night\u201d<\/h5>\n

A solid, rousing gospel take on the holiday standard. Excellent showcase for 1994 Carey\u2019s astounding vocal abilities. I quite like the decision to kick the album off with a gentle, reverent moment before rolling into the holly-jolly all-time banger that is \u201cAll I Want for Christmas Is You.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I Want for Christmas Is You\u201d<\/h5>\n

I mean, what more is there to say? The church bells, the sleigh bells, the neo-Wall of Sound production. Actually, it\u2019s funny listening\u2014really listening<\/em>\u2014to this song that you hear dozens of times just kind of ambiently at the grocery store and on the radio every year. You know, sometimes familiarity can breed contempt. But giving this song the time and attention it deserves? Definitely worth it.<\/p>\n

\u201cO Holy Night\u201d<\/h5>\n

Ok, this is probably really messed up, but I can\u2019t help thinking of Tracey Morgan\u2019s version<\/a> of this song from 30 Rock<\/em>. Not that this legit soaring rendition compares in any way. That\u2019s just where my brain goes, unfortunately.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas (Baby Please Come Home)\u201d<\/h5>\n

The original<\/a> Darlene Love version of this song is probably one of my all-time top 10 Christmas songs. Mariah for sure does it justice, down to once again recreating that Wall of Sound vibe. But I remain an originalist.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss You Most (At Christmas Time)\u201d<\/h5>\n

Ok, the second of Afanasieff and Carey\u2019s collabs is in an entirely different register compared to \u201cAll I Want for Christmas is You.\u201d I have to say, I was very tempted to skip this drippy ballad.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoy to the World\u201d<\/h5>\n

Ooh! No one told me there would be a \u201990s house-infused gospel version of \u201cJoy to the World\u201d in my life today! Why is this not a gay anthem? Am literally already adding to my Christmas playlist! Am experiencing actual joy!<\/p>\n

\u201cJoy to the World\u201d<\/h5>\n

I listened to it again!<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus Born on This Day\u201d<\/h5>\n

Wasn\u2019t sure this was for me at first, but actually quite liked the big orchestral choral moment at the end. V. pretty.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta Clause is Comin\u2019 to Town\u201d<\/h5>\n

For a second, I thought this was \u201cAll I Want For Christmas\u201d again. Have I heard this before? I feel like maybe I have? The arrangement seems familiar. More Wall of Sound production. Literally started tapping my foot. Lolz.<\/p>\n

\u201cHark! The Herald Angels Sing\u201d \/ \u201cGloria (In Excelsis Deo)\u201d<\/h5>\n

For the record, I\u2019m not a particularly spiritual person, but I do love these two songs, and I really appreciate that Carey and co. kind of just let them speak for themselves. No need to reinvent the wheel here. Just some gorgeous voices singing some gorgeous songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus Oh What a Wonderful Child\u201d<\/h5>\n

So, as Shelton said, this whole album is quite promiscuous when it comes to genre. But I feel like it really toggles primarily between the Wall of Sound-sound and gospel spirituals. This closing track is definitively the later, and it\u2019s a hell of a showstopper\u2014if that\u2019s an appropriate way to describe a song about Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29097,"featured_media":41934,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[38,3292,16],"yoast_head":"\nEvery Other Song On Mariah Carey\u2019s \u2018Merry Christmas\u2019<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We all know \u201cAll I Want for Christmas Is You\u201d is a classic, but what about the rest of the album? 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