Time to put away your pumpkins and bring out your Christmas lights. Although the holidays will certainly look a lot different this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t jam out to some tunes to get you into the spirit! Here are five new Christmas albums released in 2020 you need to add to your holiday playlist.
- A Very Trainor Christmas – Meghan Trainor
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M Train’s signature sound + Christmas vibes? Talk about a perfect combination! This album is a blend of Christmas classics like Winter Wonderland and Last Christmas, but also includes new Meghan originals. My personal favorites are I Believe In Santa and Holidays Featuring Earth, Wind and Fire! Both are incredible and much more pop-sounding than your average Christmas song. If pop music is usually your thing or you listen to Meghan’s music on occasion, definitely give this album a listen!
- A Tori Kelly Christmas – Tori Kelly
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Tori Kelly is such an underrated performer and her first Christmas album is pure magic! From angelic vocals on songs like Silent Night and Christmas Time Is Here, to unique originals like 25th and Gift That Keeps On Giving, this album has something for everyone!
It was also produced by grammy winning producer Babyface, who has worked with artists like Ariana Grande and Beyonce. He even lent his vocals to collab with Tori singing Let It Snow, which is led into by a gorgeous arrangement of the Elf opening theme. That segway had to be my personal favorite part of the album, since it really got me in the Christmas spirit! If you haven’t listened to Tori before, this album is the perfect way to get introduced to her while also getting festive!
- December Baby – JoJo
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You can always count on JoJo to bring impeccable vocals to any song and for her first Christmas album, she certainly brings her A-Game! It’s filled with R&B, pop, and soulful flare on songs like Noelle and The Christmas Song, but also features originals too! My favorites are the title track December Baby and Wrap Me Up. If you’re looking for a Christmas album you can chill out to, look no further! But listen now, before it’s a little too late!
- The Christmas Album – Leslie Odom Jr.
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Where are my Hamilton fans at? Leslie’s new Christmas album mixes the classic with the modern; featuring his stellar Broadway pipes on all 10 tracks.
However, my favorites are actually originals featured on the album; Snow and Winter Song featuring Cynthia Erivo (who you might know from the film Harriet or her portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple Musical on Broadway).
This is also the only album on the list that includes a Hanukkah song too! Ma’oz Tzur featuring Nicolette Robinson is a gorgeous piece, proving this album has something for everyone, no matter what you celebrate this season!
- We Need a Little Christmas – Pentatonix
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Last but not least, I have to feature Pentatonix! Is it really Christmas if you don’t listen to them? While they have six other holiday albums in their repertoire, this one will surely be another amazing body of work. It drops on November 13th, so at the time of writing this, I haven’t listened to it.
However, they did release a beautiful cover of Amazing Grace that will be featured on it, which blew me away. Once the whole album is available to buy and stream, be sure to give it a listen to get in the holiday spirit!
I hope this list gave you some new songs to add to your holiday playlist. Be merry and celebrate safely this season!