The best way to get into the holiday spirit is by listening to your favorite holiday classics while putting the garland on the railing, lights on the house, and ornaments on the tree. Many pop artists throughout the years have made their own Christmas albums with some of their favorite classics and new original Christmas songs that they wrote. I am going to go through 5 of my personal favorite Christmas albums that are guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit.
- “Christmas in the City” by Lea Michele (2019)
“Christmas in the City” is a magical album with covers of some of the best holiday classics like, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Silver Bells,” and more. She has some amazing features on the album including two of her former “Glee” castmates, Darren Criss and Jonathan Groff. She puts her own original touch on the songs to make it her own. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” featuring Groff, is played with a Hawaiian melody which gives the song a tropical feeling. Michele remakes a classic song from the film “Frozen,” “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” into a slow ballad with perfect vocals. Her one original song on the album, “Christmas in New York,” paints a perfect picture of how magical New York City is during Christmas time.
- “Christmas Kisses” and “Christmas & Chill” EPs by Ariana Grande (2013 & 2015)
The “Christmas Kisses” EP has two classic and two original holiday songs. Grande puts a pop twist on “Last Christmas” and “Santa Baby” featuring her former “Victorious” castmate, Liz Gillies. Her high range vocals are refreshing on these holiday favorites. Her two originals, “Love Is Everything” and “Snow in California” fill your soul with the Christmas spirit. If you are looking for more original Christmas pop songs, then the “Christmas and Chill” EP is perfect for you. It consists of 6 original songs by Grande. Her pop vocals are smooth and soothing. Her hit song on the EP, “December,” is a modern take on a holiday romance.
- “Merry Christmas” by Mariah Carey (1994)
Every year during the holidays, songs from Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” hit no. 1 on the charts. It is incredible that an album from 1994 becomes popular every single year. “All I Want for Christmas” by Carey is the most well-known version of the classic. She has gospel and soul-inflected vocals on the album, a mix of classics and originals. Originals include, “Christmas,” “Miss You Most,” and “Jesus Born On This Day.” This is an album that will definitely get you excited for Christmas.
- “A Very Trainor Christmas” by Meghan Trainor (2020)
Meghan Trainor just released this album on Oct. 30. She has so many fun, original songs like “My Kind of Present,” “I Believe in Santa,” “Holidays,” “Naughty List,” and more. All the songs have Trainor’s signature high tempo and spunky, pop beat. Her classic songs include “Silent Night,” “Last Christmas,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Winter Wonderland,” and more. You can’t help but move your body and dance when you listen to these Christmas songs.
- Christmas Albums Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4 by the “Glee” Cast (2009-2013)
Glee was a hit show on Fox about a high school singing club. Every episode, they would cover different songs, often relating to the plot of the show, which would then be released for streaming. Over the course of the series, they had four Christmas episodes where they sang classic holiday tunes with corresponding studio recordings. The songs are filled with joy and, of course, glee! If you’re a fan of “Glee” then the voices of the cast will for sure make you reminisce on the amazing times of the show. My two personal favorites of all the Christmas albums are volumes one and two. The cast’s vocals are powerful and they bring life into each song. I recommend putting the four “Glee” Christmas albums in one streamlined playlist, and now you have your Christmas holiday songs for the season!
Featured Image courtesy of Iulia L via Flickr Creative Commons
