As the air cools and Christmas season rolls around, holiday music fills the ears of Austinites. To help embrace the Christmas spirit or curate a winter playlist, The Daily Texan selected five albums reminiscent of that joyful season of bright lights and presents, known as Christmas.
Elvis’ Christmas Album — Elvis Presley
Starting off with a classic, Elvis Presley’s Christmas album combines soft blues and jazz with his rich voice, bringing a retro aspect to Christmas. Released on Oct. 15, 1957, this album features the popular song, “Blue Christmas,” highlighted in several holiday movies, such as “Christmas with the Kranks.” His album went on to sell more than 20 million copies across the United States. His sultry voice makes this Christmas album unique with a mix of ‘lovey-dovey’ Christmas songs like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and traditional tunes, like “Silent Night.”
fruitcake — Sabrina Carpenter
Released in 2023, Sabrina Carpenter’s fruitcake took a provocative and cynical spin on the Christmas spirit. With songs like “buy me presents” and “is it new year’s yet?” the album follows a sensual version of Christmas within relationships. Her more recent songs have innuendos and this album is full of them too; with six tracks, fruitcake relates to a longing for a lustful type of love. A rollercoaster of emotions, this album switches between melancholic piano and upbeat jingle bells in different songs, reflecting the elasticity of feelings during the holiday season.
Christmas Album — The Jackson 5
Composed of Jackson family members, The Jackson 5’s “Christmas Album” embodies a soul and funk Christmas with songs like “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Michael Jackson is the frontrunner of the quintet, leading the band to popularity before he was old enough to become a solo act. Keep Christmas upbeat this year to the sound of Jackson’s lead vocals as a young boy.
A Very She & Him Christmas — She & Him
The duo, composed of singer and actress Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, released A Very She & Him Christmas on Oct. 24, 2011. Regarded as a more alternative indie band, She & Him uses instruments like the acoustic guitar and the ukulele, keeping their songs lighthearted. This Christmas album has mostly cheerful renditions of songs, like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Christmas Day.” The echoey vocals in each of the 12 tracks characterize the album as twee, making A Very She & Him Christmas reminiscent of a whimsical holiday season.
Under the Mistletoe — Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber became a pop phenomenon in the early 2010s with his side swoop hair and dual threat qualities as a singer and dancer. In 2011, he released his holiday album, titled Under the Mistletoe. The most popular song on this album, with over 955 million Spotify streams, is “Mistletoe,” a song about being in love during Christmas time. Taking a modern R&B twist on classic Christmas, Bieber steals hearts with romantic, charming songs.
