You know Christmas is right around the corner: the decorations, festivities, the minute you hear Christmas music start playing, just like clockwork. Every season we listen to the same songs on repeat for what seems like a month, never getting tired of them. Why? What makes these songs so special? Here’s a look at some of the biggest modern Christmas hits that we listen to on repeat every winter.
Hands down the biggest Christmas anthem of late has seemed to be “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” by Mariah Carey. Mariah’s hit has become so big that she is known for ringing in the Christmas season on November 1st and held a Christmas special in 2020. This song was featured on the album “Merry Christmas,” which Mariah re-recorded for its 25th anniversary. Mariah Carey has become one of the main symbols of Christmas, especially for the younger generations. Comments like “she’s thawing” or “it’s time” can be heard across the country as early as September. However, despite her success around Christmas, most children born after 2010 have no recollection of Mariah Carey before the Christmas season comes around. An icon for three months and then frozen until the next Christmas season.
Another 2000s icon who is known for her iconic Christmas songs is Kelly Clarkson. Kelly dropped the lead single from her “Rapped in Red” album, “Under the Tree,” in 2013. Resurfacing as a TikTok trend in 2024, “Under the Tree” is one of the biggest Christmas hits blasted every holiday season. Kelly is most known for her “Breakaway” album featuring her chart breaking song, “Since You’ve Been Gone.” Both albums feature Kelly’s hearty voice and nostalgic lyrics. While Kelly hasn’t had a huge hit since 2011, she is still well known for her talk show. Besides seeing her on the TV, we get to revisit with Kelly Clarkson every winter season.
Justin Bieber’s “Under The Mistletoe” dropped in 2011. A child superstar reaching new heights in his career, the lead single, “Mistletoe,” is a catchy Christmas tune known by everyone who listens to modern Christmas hits. This Christmas album came out between two of the biggest albums of Justin’s career, “My World 2.0,” and “Believe.” Only 17 years old, Justin Bieber was able to give us an unforgettable Christmas album while dealing with personal scrutiny and issues.
One of the biggest standalone Christmas hits from the 2000s is undoubtedly Ariana Grande’s Santa Baby.” Written towards the beginning of Ariana’s musical career, this instant hit has the same flirtatious and gift focused theme as Eritha Kitt’s 1953 classic. Following this single an EP was released a few days later Ariana released Christmas Kisses.” This EP broke Ariana out of her Cat Valentine era and started to shape her into the pop star she is today. Its infectious beat and festive lyrics can be heard everywhere, whenever you start celebrating the Christmas season.
While no one can deny Taylor Swift has been a groundbreaking artist, her 2007 Christmas album is forgotten and was a total flop. Compared to albums like “Folklore,” “1989,” and “Speak Now,” this dive into Christmas music is completely overlooked. The album consists of Taylor reimagining classics and writing original carols. Today, it is very unlikely you will hear anything from the album. While Taylor was still at the beginning of her career the album is filled with her young country voice and high school era lyrics. It might have been that this experience in Christmas music scared Taylor off, because for 12 years she steered clear of the genre. Taylor eventually released her hit Christmas single in 2019, “Christmas Tree Farm,” but it seems unlikely that we will ever get another Christmas album from the pop star.
From Mariah Carey to Taylor Swift, each of these artists has had a different impact on Christmas music and the holiday spirit. In the end, the season always fades, but we come back to Christmas music and the magic and holiday spirit it always brings.
