We are nearly halfway through December, and Christmastime is in full force—Starbucks has released its signature cups, Spotify has published its year-wrapped playlists, and Boston has lit its downtown Christmas trees! Most importantly, it is finally acceptable to listen to Christmas music (although if you’re like me, you’ve been listening to Christmas music since August with no shame)! If you’ve gotten tired of pre-made medleys, here are five fun and unique Christmas songs you (probably) haven’t heard before.
- “How Many Kings” by Downhere
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The Fish, my mom’s favorite radio station, plays this song constantly, so I’m always surprised when it’s left off most lists of Christmas songs. “How Many Kings” tells the Christian story of Christmas, and the beautiful lyrics combined with the melodious piano bring tears to my eyes every time.
- “Snow” by Sleeping at Last
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Sleeping at Last is known for their original compositions and unique inspirations; they have albums dedicated to slowed-down covers of pop songs, an album inspired by space, and an album about each type of the enneagram (check out my article on the enneagram here!). My favorite of their original songs, however, is “Snow,” which was inspired by the oft-forgotten hard parts of the holiday season.
- “Light of Christmas” by TobyMac and Owl City
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In addition to containing some adorably hilarious lyrics (“Fighting the cold with some hot cocoa / Grab a grandma, to the mall we go”), TobyMac’s upbeat Christmas song details the best part of Christmas: infatuating spirit of joy and giving that makes Christmas the best season and brings a smile to everyone’s face.
- “Silver Nights” by Sabrina Carpenter
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Sabrina Carpenter’s first Christmas song is unique, cute, and romantic. I stayed up until midnight for its release in 2014, and every time I’ve listened to it since, I just want to go on an ice skating date in New York, like Kurt and Blaine did in Glee.
- “Oh Santa! All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
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This holiday mashup has just about every single element of a Christmas song you could ever imagine smushed together into four minutes and 27 seconds; the best way to describe it is absolute chaos in the form of a Christmas song. It is iconic, super easy to dance to, and belongs at every single holiday get-together.
- “Dominick the Donkey” by Lou Monte
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This list would not be complete if I didn’t give a shoutout to my favorite Italian Christmas donkey! Anyone who knows me knows I love “Dominick the Donkey”; I played it nonstop throughout December last year, downloaded the ringtone version, and got the lyrics stuck in everyone’s head for months after. If you haven’t heard it before, you need to listen to it and watch the music video right now.
With these six songs, every Christmas playlist is officially complete and ready to be enjoyed. Now that we have the music, it’s time to sit back, relax, and immerse in the spirit of the best time of the year (while acknowledging that it is 100% acceptable to listen to all of these all year long)!
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