Now that the turkey has been gobbled down and the Black Friday shopping frenzy has calmed down, the countdown to the days leading up to Christmas officially begins! As you start to get into the holiday spirit by decorating your home, trimming the tree, and wrapping presents for your loved ones, you’re gonna need a soundtrack to set the festive mood.
This year’s new Christmas music arrivals represent a range of genres, from classical and country, to R&B and yes, even EDM. Here’s a preview of 10 newly-released Christmas albums from the 2017 holiday season to add to your collection.
Gwen Stefani‘s You Make It Feel Like Christmas is the first Christmas album from the pop-rock songstress. She lends her signature sound to the retro-flavored Christmas songs she was born to sing like “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Santa Baby” and introduces originals such as “When I Was A Little Girl,” “Christmas Eve,” “My Gift is You,” “Never Kissed Anyone With Blue Eyes Before You,” and a duet with her beloved Blake Shelton on the title track, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.”
Image Credit: Atlantic Records
From start to finish, Everyday is Christmas is full of original compositions written and sung by the incomparable Sia. The album plays on the idea of holiday fun with colorful, charming, and infectious tracks to bring cheer and joy into the winter months. Tracks like “Candy Cane Lane,” “Puppies Are Forever,” and “Sunshine” evoke happy images while “Candy Cane Lane,” “Snowman,” and “Ho Ho Ho” make Christmas tales come alive.
Violinist (and recent Dancing with the Stars runner-up) Lindsey Stirling‘s Warmer in the Winter features festive classics driven by her ferocious string-playing mixed with electronic beats. The tracklisting is comprised of classic concerto pieces like “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Carol of the Bells,” an instrumental of the modern-day classic “All I Want for Christmas (Is You),” and vocal collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter (“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”), Becky G (“Christmas C’mon”), and All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth (“Time to Fall in Love”).
in honour of the 60th anniversary of the top-selling Christmas album of all-time, Elvis’ Christmas Album, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra bestows new life into Elvis Presley‘s Christmas discography with Christmas with Elvis. Lavish new arrangements of Christmas classics such as “Blue Christmas,” “Santa Claus is Back in Town,” and “Peace in the Valley” re-establishes Elvis not only the King of Rock and Roll, but the King of Christmas as well.
Image Credit: 3CG Records
The Hanson brothers’ long-awaited follow-up to their Christmas album staple, Snowed In (which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year) has finally arrived with Finally It’s Christmas. Their latest Christmas record features originals such as the title track, “Finally It’s Christmas” and “Til New Years Night,” along with classics like “Please Come Home (for Christmas)” and “Joy to the Mountain” (a medley of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Joy to the World”). Two decades later, these guys prove that they just get better with time.
Country royalty Reba McEntire re-released her 2016 Christmas album My Kind of Christmas with three new tracks featuring collaborations with Vince Gill and Amy Grant (“Mary, Did You Know?”), Darius Rucker (“O Little Town of Bethlehem”), and a lovely acoustic rendition of “Back To God” with Lauren Daigle. The album ends with the harmonious trio performance of “Silent Night” with Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood from Clarkson’s 2013 Christmas release, Wrapped in Red.
Patti LaBelle presents a compilation album Home for the Holidays with Friends featuring guest vocals from her pals Ruben Studdard, Vivian Green, Jamar Jones, and Tamela Mann. Highlights from the project include LaBelle’s soulful “Don’t Save It All for Christmas” (in which she delivers a poignant message about giving a little love every day), Studdard’s moving rendition of “Ave Maria,” a cha-cha induced “Brazilian Sleigh Bells,” and a LaBelle and Mann’s dynamic duet of “Jesus King!”
Image Credit: Concord Records
Christmas After Midnight is the inaugural Christmas record from American Idol winner Fantasia. The R&B, jazz, and blues influenced album offers a wide variety of song selections, from popular favorites like “This Christmas” and “Merry Christmas Baby” to underrated tracks such as James Brown’s “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” and The Temptations’ “Give Love On Christmas Day.” Christmas After Midnight concludes with “Hallelujah,” which showcases Fantasia’s soulful gospel chops in full force.
In an unprecedented move, DJ Kaskade released Kaskade Christmas, an untraditional but undeniably unforgettable project of Christmas classics set to pulsating electro beats, such as a dance-floor ready reinvention of “Winter Wonderland.” Selected tracks are accompanied by featured appearances from vocalists Skylar Grey and Dia Frampton.
In the original motion picture soundtrack for the animated film The Star, a multitude of music stars including Kelsea Ballerini, Jake Owen, Kirk Franklin, A Great Big World, Zara Larsson, Fifth Harmony, and the modern day Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey join together to celebrate the story of the first Christmas.
What new Christmas albums and songs have you added to your holiday playlist? Let us know in the comments!
The Hudsucker 
Some great Christmas albums out this year! Cool to see Sia commit so fully to hers, too.