Our at-home and socially distanced Halloween is over, so it’s time to get into the holiday spirit. And the first step is to start listening to holiday music.
Don’t get me wrong, traditional holiday and Christmas music is great, and I love listening to it in the wintertime, but it can get a little repetitive. There are countless covers of each Christmas and winter song out there, so if you’re in the mood to listen to a few original holiday songs, here are some great recommendations.
- “come out and play” by Billie Eilish
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This song was one of my favorites in Winter 2018. It’s not strictly holiday-related, but the accompanying video put the song in the holiday mood. I loved the stop motion video and the coziness of the song. My favorite lyrics are: “And I know it makes you nervous / But I promise you, it’s worth it.”
- “Holiday-ish” by The Regrettes
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Last year, The Regrettes were my favorite band, so when they released a holiday single, I was all over it. “Holiday-ish” has a bit of the classic jingle sounds of a Christmas song with the pop-rock guitar of the band’s style. My favorite lyrics are: “And when I look at you / And you look back at me / There’s nothing I would rather do / You’re the most holiday-ish sight that I could see.”
- “This Christmas” by Oh Wonder
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The combination of Oh Wonder’s indie vibes and the Christmas spirit makes a great song. “This Christmas” is not the most joyous holiday song, but I like how it does cut through the upbeat songs of the seasons that can get overwhelming sometimes. My favorite lyrics are: “I’d give anything this Christmas / Anything this Christmas / I’d give anything this Christmas to have you here.”
- “Snowman” by Sia
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Sia’s entire holiday album, Everyday is Christmas, was a bop, but “Snowman” was definitely my favorite song on the album. It’s a sweet song, and as someone who plays the piano and loves a good piano piece like “Snowman,” the background instrumentals are very pleasing and mellow. My favorite lyrics are: “Yes, let’s hit the North Pole and live happily / Please don’t cry no tears now / It’s Christmas, baby.”
- “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes
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This song isn’t explicitly a Christmas song either, but it’s always been associated with the holidays and winter season for me, so I had to include it on this list. I just love the sound of this song, despite its random lyrics. My favorite lyrics are: “To keep their little heads from fallin’ in the snow / And I turned ’round and there you go.”
November is the start of holiday music time, so you can take these recommendations and add your own songs that aren’t covers of traditional Christmas songs to make a great holiday playlist.
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