It’s that time of year again: whatever holiday(s) you’re celebrating this month, I hope they’ve been joyous and full of wonderful time spent with your closest loved ones! And if you aren’t celebrating any holidays in particular – I hope you’ve been able to enjoy your fair share of treats, holiday sales, and… new music!
I know, I know – not everyone celebrates Christmas, and a whole lot of “holiday music” is… Christmas music. But whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I think you’ll find something to enjoy in this edition of ON REPEAT – whether from an artist you already know and love, or perhaps a brand new discovery.
Without further ado, here’s your 2023 holiday special edition of ON REPEAT…
Sabrina Carpenter – “santa doesn’t know you like i do”
Okay, okay, I’ll admit it – I’m a little late to hop on the Sabrina Carpenter train. But now that I have, I’m just wondering why I didn’t join sooner. Last year’s emails i can’t send is full of relatable bops to anyone who’s ever caught feelings and regretted it… so, basically everyone (right?). This holiday season, Carpenter is treating us to the fruitcake EP, chock full of original holiday songs. “santa doesn’t know you like i do” is a standout, and the video is chock full of seasonal traditions you’ll wish you had someone to copy with. Catch Sabrina Carpenter on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Australia and Singapore in 2024.
Cher – “DJ Play A Christmas Song”
It seems Cher has been a musical icon since she was born (or maybe since the dawn of time?). This pop diva has released hit after hit, but believe it or not, Christmas – her 27th studio album, released this October on Warner Records – is her first Christmas album. Did you know she’s had a #1 song every decade since the 1960s? She’s continuing that streak (now seven decades in a row!) with “DJ Play a Christmas Song” topping the Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart. “DJ Play a Christmas Song” is everything you love from a Cher hit – auto-tuned vocal runs amidst a powerful melody, lyrics describing a feeling of romantic longing over an impossibly danceable beat – with the added bonus of a holiday-themed twist. Don’t forget to check out the Robin Schulz remix.
Christina Perri – “christmas dream”
I don’t know about you, but for me, colder weather (Los Angeles has been simply frigid, with temps hitting the low 50s!) means it’s “rewatch the Twilight saga” season… which means a whole lot of listening to Christina Perri‘s “A Thousand Years.” To top it off and really solidify this time of year as hers, the multi-platinum singer-songwriter released her songs for christmas album in November, and “christmas dream” is an adorable, heartfelt seasonal singalong. Perri says about the release, which follows her songs for pixie lullaby album for her daughter, “If you know me, you know how much I love Christmas. Recording ‘songs for pixie’ earlier this year was so inspiring, that I decided to turn some of my favorite Christmas songs, and a brand new original, into lullabies as well! Happy Holidays, hope you enjoy.” Listen to songs for christmas here.
FELICITY – “Last Christmas”
This summer, Orlando pop-punk outfit FELICITY took the internet by storm with their maybe-controversial, totally-catchy collab with Greyson Zane, “Emo Trash.” And just in case the group hasn’t cemented themselves in your brain yet, they’re rounding out 2023 with a cover of one of the best-known Christmas songs ever: Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” FELICITY guitarist Drew Rapier says about the cover:
“After a hectic year, we wanted to end 2023 with a special gift for all our fans and supporters. ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham! has always been one of our favorite Christmas songs – It’s one that we’ve always played acoustically at Christmas parties or for our families. We challenged ourselves to create a version of the song that is unique to FELICITY while staying true to the original and (hopefully) creating a version that listeners could enjoy year-round. We hope everyone enjoys the song (and the silly video we made for it) as much as we enjoyed creating it!”
Stream the cover wherever you listen to music.
Daniel Leggs – “Linus and Lucy”
And to end on a delightfully nostalgic note, here’s another cover I know you’ll recognize: rising alt-pop artist Daniel Leggs has covered “Linus and Lucy”, the famed theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas. A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered way back in 1965 – and you can’t deny the movie is a classic. The “Linus and Lucy” cover comes as a part of the Overallidays holiday EP from Overall Recordings/Atlantic Records, and follows Leggs’ triple single “at the end of the world”, released in October. Listen to Overallidays here.
