For many people, the holiday season is one of the most enjoyable times of the year. From the food to the celebrations, everyone can find something to enjoy. The cornerstone of this time of the year is music, especially during the COVID pandemic, when a lot of holiday traditions will have to be modified or made virtual. Many well-known artists have released seasonal music this year, to keep spreading holiday cheer regardless of the current situation.

Some artists even began dropping holiday music as far back as September, when Carrie Underwood released an 11-song collection titled “My Gift” (Billboard). The album includes both Christmas classics and original songs, and uses a lot of inspiration from both country and pop music (Billboard). Another holiday album released was “A Holly Dolly Christmas” by Dolly Parton. This album contains multiple appearances by other celebrities among the likes of Michael Búble, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jimmy Fallon (Redlands Daily Facts). The hit acapella group Pentatonix has also published a holiday album, titled “We Need a Little Christmas”, which is the sixth holiday album the group has released over their career (Redlands Daily Facts). The groups’ past holiday albums have sold over 12 million units, so this record is sure to follow suit (Redlands Daily Facts). 

Other musicians have instead dropped holiday-themed singles. The Jonas Brothers released a new single titled “I Need Your Christmas”, a slower piano ballad (Billboard). Carly Rae Jepson’s “It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries” is a bleak yet truthful pop song about holiday experiences (Entertainment). “Here This Christmas” by Gwen Stefani was also released this year, and is being used as the soundtrack for Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” (Billboard). Lil Nas X, a vocalist that rose to fame through the song “Old Town Road”, has returned with the single “Holiday” to celebrate this year’s winter season (Billboard). 

Despite how this year’s holiday season might be different from those of the past, festive music is still able to bring families and friends together. This year, enjoy both Christmas classics and a slew of new songs that have been released while staying safe and socially distant with loved ones.