It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is upon us. In other words, it’s time for festive movies, colorful decorations, cozy nights by the fire, and, of course, Christmas music. We all have songs that get us into the holiday spirit that we love to play on repeat. From timeless classics such as Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to Destiny’s Child’s iconic bop “8 Days of Christmas,” holiday music always brightens the mood.
In recent years, stars such as Victoria Monét and Ari Lennox have continued to put a modern twist on popular classics and/or craft their own holiday hits. Looking for some new songs to add to your holiday playlist? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Here are five Christmas albums and tracks worth downloading immediately.
1. Victoria Monét – “A Jaguar Christmas: The Orchestral Arrangements“
A sumptuous and festive rendition of her critically acclaimed debut EP, the talented singer/songwriter offers up classical versions of six songs from “Jaguar.” The elegant string arrangements were orchestrated by musician and composer Maurice “Piranha Head” Heard. Additional collaborators on the project include Peter Lee Johnson, Tim Suby, and the iconic D’Mile. This soothing EP deserves a spot on your Christmas playlist. With the release of her highly popular “Jaguar II” album, here’s hoping that the “On My Mama” singer will give us a festive spin on a few of these tracks, too.
2. Ari Lennox – “My Favorite Things“
In a soulful and soothing version, Ari Lennox covered “My Favorite Things,” sung by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. Although it’s not a typical Christmas song, Lennox sings it with such purity and magic.
“I decided to cover ‘My Favorite Things’ because I love The Sound of Music,” said Lennox in an interview with Apple Music. “The original version spoke to me because Julie Andrews is a phenomenal, beautiful singer. Her tone is crazy, and I wanted to do my version.”
3. Brandy – “Christmas with Brandy“
This holiday season, the “vocal bible” has blessed us with her first-ever Christmas album, “Christmas with Brandy.” With a mix of updated classics and originals, Brandy curated a project that can be listened to year-round. As a follow-up to her 2020 album, “B7,” this is her debut release with Motown Records.
“I’ve had seven albums out, and I’ve always wanted to do a Christmas project,” Brandy told Variety. “My fans have always requested it, so it seemed like the right time to do it. I felt that I was in the spirit; I was in the mood, and it just came together perfectly.”
4. Coco Jones – “A Timeless Christmas“
Soulful beauty and Grammy-nominated singer Coco Jones transports listeners to an R&B wintry escape. Her smooth, rich voice glides over the original Christmas carol co-written by herself and Tiyon “TC” Mack. In addition to this new track, Jones also recorded a remake of Destiny’s Child’s “8 Days of Christmas” for Apple Music.
5. Chlöe Bailey – “Merry Christmas Baby“
Chlöe Bailey gave us a festive bop for the holidays. The singer rerecorded Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas Baby” for Amazon Prime’s new holiday movie, Candy Cane Lane. The film stars Tracee Ellis Ross and Eddie Murphy.
“In recreating a classic, I wanted to ensure I was honoring the original artists but also putting my spin on the tracks,” Chlöe told RatedR&B. “With ‘Merry Christmas Baby,’ I kept listening to Otis Redding’s original to match the soul in his voice.”
As you can see, the possibilities are endless with updating your Christmas music list. So, which Christmas songs have made your cut? Comment and let us know!
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