Everyone loves Holiday classics, but the music industry is always growing and changing. Here are 7 artists releasing original Christmas songs this holiday season contributing to the Holiday hits of 2024.
The holidays can bring out the worst in people, but the spirit can also bring out the best in people. This holiday season these artists wanted to highlight the electric feeling in the air during this time through their release of cheery music.
1. Charlie Puth: December 25th
Charlie Puth is a pop music wizard. He is expected to finally add a Christmas song to his repertoire. The song which debuted on November 8th of 2024 is the product of Puth messing around in the studio and creating this downcast Christmas song over an 80s-inspired synth.
The song is reminiscent of Wham!’s Last Christmas because it has depressing lyrics about longing for a lover in a catchy, upbeat song.
2. Jimmy Fallon: Holiday Seasonings
Jimmy Fallon is known for keeping things lighthearted and it remains the same for his holiday album. This album, which was released on November 1st of this year, consists of several parody songs about various holiday tropes.
The song Thanksgiving Eve highlights the drinking culture of “Blackout Wednesday”. When everyone comes back home for the holidays, they can also share a drink or too many at the bar with their hometown friends they grew up with.
Another standout song One Glove with Will Ferrell covers the inconveniences winter weather can bring. Fallon and Ferrell tell the story of one glove being lost outside in the snow and how it kills the vibe of enjoying a white Christmas in a comical way.
The song New Year’s Eve Polka (5-4-3-2-1) with Weird Al and the Roots is all about the magical countdown that happens every new year. Even though it happens every year we all get excited about change and the chance to partake in a New Year’s resolution, (although things tend not to change).
3. Perrie Edwards: Christmas Magic
Perrie Edwards, a former member of the girl group Little Mix, had dipped her toes into the pool of Christmas music before. As a part of her band, she has previously worked on two Christmas songs over the years, but this is her first solo holiday release. On her social media, Edwards stated that Christmas Magic is supposed to be a love song for the holiday season and her fiancé who frequently travels for work.
The lyrics have a callback to another holiday classic Santa Baby giving it an especially nostalgic holiday feel.
4. Jennifer Hudson: The Gift Of Love
The Gift Of Love is Jennifer Hudson’s fourth studio album and her first release in ten years. It was released on October 18th, 2024, and is a compilation of Christmas covers and four original songs with a laid-back, soul-spin. Hudson is a renowned vocalist who most recently acted as Aretha Franklin in the biopic Respect. She has since continued to provide moving songs with her powerful vocals.
The original songs include: Let There Be Joy, Santa For Someone, Almost Christmas, and Find The Love.
The standout original song Santa for Someone is about the chaos of trying to get everything together for Christmas, and especially getting the perfect gifts for everyone. The lyrics talk about the financial strain of shopping for the holidays in a joking manner although it is a very relatable sentiment for many during the busy season.
In an interview with Billboard Music, Hudson stated “My biggest goal is to add to everyone’s holiday traditions” referring to her album and the Old Navy holiday campaign she is featured in. In addition to her soulful holiday debut, Hudson has definitely left her imprint on the holiday music market.
5. Kelly Clarkson: You For Christmas
Kelly Clarkson is a name you expect to hear around the holidays. Since the release of her popular song Underneath The Tree in 2013, Clarkson has remained one of the Christmas queens who dominates holiday charts. It is no surprise that she is back with more music for this holiday season.
Clarkson’s song debuted on September 17th, 2024, and shares a similar sentiment to many Christmas songs of the decades. You For Christmas is all about wanting someone special to share the season with.
This release came before the news of Clarkson returning to NBC’s annual Christmas in Rockafeller Center broadcast as a host. The stream will take place on December 4th and cover the lighting of the legendary Rockafeller Christmas tree.
6. Conan Gray: Holidays
Conan Gray is someone who is always longing. It is no different this holiday season as he recently released his latest single Holidays. The song was officially released to streaming on October 18th, 2025, but was previously debuted at his September 30th concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.
While on stage, Gray spoke a little about his new song and the emotional tie he has to it. “I wanted to make a song that captured that feeling of coming back home to your hometown after moving away and seeing little bits and pieces slowly change — until one day you look around and your town just isn’t your town anymore.” On a more positive note, the song heavily features gratitude for the things that don’t change.
Holidays is all about the nostalgia of the season and how the traditions may look different over time, but the friendships made and cherished during this time. Although the song features a melancholy sound and lyrics, they are relatable for many people wishing to chase the close relationships that the holiday season encourages.
7. Saweetie: Dear Big Santa
The holiday two-song bundle is a gift to her fans. The bundle was released on November 1st after less than twenty-four hours of teasing the holiday drop. During her music career, Saweetie has prided herself on giving back to her supporters. By promoting and providing financial literacy advice to her fans she has even partnered in launching a nonprofit organization. The Icy Baby Foundation was founded to help young people of color with entrepreneurship, technology, and financial literacy.
One of the singles Big Santa consists of lyrics that call back to her debut song Icy Girl and talks about how she wants a lot for Christmas. Saweetie especially wants a lot of ice (jewelry) for this holiday season. The other song I Want You This Christmas is a nostalgic love song about spending the holidays with someone special. Altogether the bundle includes a hip-hop spin on typical holiday songs while sharing a familiar theme with the Holiday genre.
Want to listen?
If any of the songs listed catch your eye, I have compiled a playlist of the highlighted songs and others to curate a festive mood! This playlist is a mixture of holiday classics and new Holiday hits of 2024!
