8 great new Christmas music albums to hear in 2021
As Christmas approaches, millions of people will cue up their old favorite holiday albums. You know — the same ones they’ve been listening to for decades.
Not that there is anything wrong with that. We love hearing tracks from Nat King Cole’s “The Magic of Christmas,” Johnny Mathis’ “Merry Christmas,” the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Anne Murray’s “Christmas Wishes” and other such classics during this most wonderful time of the year.
Yet, we also like hearing new Christmas albums — of which there is never any shortage, as countless pop/country/rock stars churn out new product each year in hopes of finding their albums wrapped up under a goodly amount of Christmas trees come Dec. 25.
Here’s a roundup of some of the top new seasonal offerings from 2021, all of which can be streamed on the major platforms. So, while you’re enjoying the holidays, make some room between Mathis and Murray for these cool new Christmas albums.
“When Christmas Comes Around…,” Kelly Clarkson: The multi-talented superstar, who must rank high on the list of the busiest celebs in all of Hollywood, returns with her second Christmas offering. Like the first seasonal outing (2013’s “Wrapped in Red”), “When Christmas Comes Around…” is a gorgeous showcase for Clarkson’s pristine and versatile vocal work. The album is spirited and sassy at times, such as when the singer is informing a certain someone that “Christmas Isn’t Canceled ( Just You),” but mainly just full of joy as Clarkson sounds like she’s having the time of her life “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and belting out the “Jingle Bell Rock.”
“King Size Manger,” Josh Turner: Josh Turner is blessed with one of the best, and certainly most distinctive, voices in all of country music. The multiplatinum-selling artist puts those crystal clear, canyon-deep vocals to great use on his first Christmas album, of which four of the 11 tracks are originals. Highlights include Turner being joined by his wife and four sons on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the collaboration with Grammy-winning bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent on “Joy to the World,” and “Mele Kalikimaka My ‘Ohana” with ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro and acclaimed Hawaiian trio Ho’okena.
“I Don’t Want Christmas to End,” Zach Williams: Listeners won’t want this Christmas album to end. It’s one of the best seasonal offerings to come around in years, filled with intriguing renditions of traditional favorites. Check out the rowdy, Southern-rocking version of “Go Tell It on the Mountain”; the revved-up “Run Run Rudolph” that should please Chuck Berry fans; and the (Memphis) soulful telling of “Mary, Did You Know?” Truly, “I Don’t Want Christmas to End” is one worth playing long after Dec. 25 passes by.
“How Does Christmas Sound?” Kirk Whalum: The acclaimed saxophonist answers his own question as he offers up a great sounding batch of seasonal tunes for fans. Whalum, whose many accomplishments include providing the sax solo on Whitney Houston’s blockbuster
rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” is in top form as he tackles the likes of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
“The Season,” Steve Perry: The Journey faithful will certainly want to celebrate “The Season” — Perry’s first Christmas album and only his second full-length solo outing since departing from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band in the late ‘90s. Obviously, fans have missed hearing his voice, given that the first-weeks sales of this collection of standards resulted in “The Season” debuting at No. 6 on the pop charts.
“This Is Christmas,” Tasha Layton: The terrific pop vocalist, who earned ample amount of airtime this year with the inspirational “Look What You’ve Done” single, shines brightly on this six-song seasonal offering. Layton covers a goodly amount of musical territory, from a lighthearted cover of comedian Heywood Banks’ “Diddly Squat” to a gorgeous rendition of the classic “O Holy Night,” and every one of the six tracks is a winner.
“A Different Christmas,” Bryson Tiller: The R&B star does a nice job with his first collection of holiday tunes, featuring contributions from Justin Bieber, Kiana Lede, Poo Bear, Tayla Parx and Tiller’s daughter, Halo. Tiller reportedly came up with the idea for the project while thinking about what it’s like to spend Christmas alone — something that he himself has done in the past. “I was watching Christmas movies and next to a Christmas tree and it was a weird day. And I was like, ‘I can’t even fathom what it would be like to do that this year,’” he said in an interview with Essence.
“We Need Christmas,” Matthew West: Having delivered one of the greatest Thanksgiving songs of all time — the amazing “Gobble Gobble” from 2020 — this popular Nashville singer-songwriter turns his attention to a different holiday. It’s West’s second topnotch seasonal outing, following 2011’s “The Heart of Christmas,” and features a solid mix of holiday standards and inspired new material (such as the title track). And, yes, it also features “Gobble Gobble” — which, we warn you, may take weeks to get out of your head once it’s in.