We have our picks of all this weeks Christmas new releases for you all in one place. Keep reading for more
1. Jessie Wagner releases her festive smash ‘What Christmas Is To Me’
Jessie Wagner has dropped a new holiday single titled “What Christmas Is To Me.”
Wagner says, “Christmas is my favourite time of year because it always brings my family and friends closer. I know that this year has made that difficult, but I still have the memories to hold on to and I’m grateful for all the time I’ve shared with those I love. That’s what this song is about. Thank you Scott Martin for helping me create the music. Thank you Jorgen Kjaer for building the song up with your beautiful additions. And thank you Rob Liano for bringing it home with all the final touches. You guys really came through for me at the last minute to bring this to life. If you didn’t see this on Soundwaves TV yesterday, here you go!”
The in-demand touring vocalist Jessie Wagner (Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul) and frontwoman for NYC rock/soul band Army of the Underdog released her critically acclaimed debut solo album ‘Shoes Droppin’ earlier this year via Wicked Cool Records. “Shoes Droppin” on all digital platforms.
2. Cormac releases stunning take on ‘Walking On The Air’
Cormac is from Lancashire and his maternal grandparents live in Northern Ireland. Due to the Covid travel restrictions, they could not see each other and so he had the idea to perform a song virtually. Now, since the song was shared and people far and wide fell in love with his wonderful voice, he finds himself label mates with the likes of Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Lisa Minnelli! Not only that, but he started work on the album at the Metropolis Studios where everyone from Queen to U2 to Adele has created masterpieces. Cormac even got to warm up by using Freddie Mercury’s piano [he played it wearing gloves so that he could keep them as souvenirs!].
‘Hear My Voice’ features fifteen brand new recordings that showcase the pureness and clarity of Cormac’s voice. The material included ranges from his own takes on songs like Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’, to evergreen classics like ‘Pie Jesu’ and [35 years after the original!]; and there is a very contemporary take on the Christmas classic ‘Walking in the Air’. Thematically there is a nod towards missing loved ones, distance and the Gaelic tradition. Of course, the album features Nannie’s favourite, ‘Danny Boy’.
3. Wills and The Willings release Christmas track ‘Drawing Straws’
It’s been quite a year for Ian Wills (described in The Times as “The Ian Dury of the 21st Century”) and his band The Willing. Their long-awaited album London Country was released in October to huge critical acclaim and the first two singles taken from it, Iceberg and Idaho, climbed high in the Country Music Charts and achieved mass airplay in the USA and elsewhere.
Known for his insightful lyrics, the highest of musicianship and perfect production, this special festive release is no different. Ian charts the events of the last 9 months as only he could. From Captain Tom, clapping at 8pm, protecting the NHS, masks and hand gel to Marcus Rashford and vaccines – all done with the most joyful, memorable and insanely catchy melody!
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Wills & The Willing record without a special guest star or two! This time Ian has again turned to his friends at football’s highest level and engaged the expert drumming of Chelsea FC legend Petr Cech and the perhaps surprising vocal talent of Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth. Everything comes together to make this weeks release a Christmas single LIKE NO OTHER!
4. Harry Shearer and Judith Owen present ‘Christmas without Tears’
An antidote to the most stressful of seasons, the Annual Christmas Without Tears Variety Charity live program goes virtual for its 15th year
“the show started as a party in our home to try to comfort Judith, a Welsh woman prone to melancholia, who could not stand that the fact that Christmas in Southern California was about 78 degrees and sunny” as Harry Shearer tells it.
What began as a humble holiday house party to chase away Judith’s yuletide blues became a charity event and performance in 2005 when they staged it to aid the people of New Orleans after Katrina. – over the years, live shows in London, New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles raising funds for selected charities benefitting for those who are at risk including Elton John’s Aids Foundation, Our Friends Place. West London Mission, Snow City Arts, The New Orleans Musicians Clinic among others.
The show has featured invited performers and surprise guests who drop into Harry and Judith’s onstage living room and share a song or a joke to bring the holiday spirit to all. Comics, magicians, and even circus acts have been welcome additions, adding the perfect mix that makes this a true variety show.
Streaming from Friday 11th December 2020 until Sunday 13th December 2020. Tickets from Nugs.TV
5. Liam Payne and Dixie D’Amelio release new hit ‘Naughty List’
Liam Payne and Dixie D’Amelio have today revealed the brand new video for their single, ‘Naughty List’, which is out now on Capitol Records.
Directed by Isaac Rentz and filmed in London and LA, the video sees Liam and Dixie getting into the festive spirit with a bunch of friends while they pose in a tinsel-adorned photobooth, put baubles on a candy pink Christmas tree and sing in a life-size snow globe. Watch the fun video here.
‘Naughty List’ is Liam’s second Christmas track as a solo artist, following last year’s ‘All I Want (For Christmas)’ taken from his debut solo album ‘LP1’.
Platinum-selling Liam has sold more than 22 million singles and over three million albums in just three years as a solo artist since One Direction. He released his debut solo album, ‘LP1’, in December 2019 on Capitol Records which includes the smash hit singles ‘Strip That Down’, ‘Polaroid’ and ‘Familiar’. He has been streamed a huge total of 4.9 billion times.
6. Marty, Roxanne and Kim Wilde release Xmas double A Side.
Recently confirmed as the first Brit artist to achieve 8-decades of chart success, UK music icon, Marty Wilde, announces the release of his first ever Christmas single – a Double-A side with daughters Roxanne and Brit Award winning Kim Wilde; and a sprinkling of festive help from The Shadows’ Brian Bennett.
As The Official Chart Company verify that Marty Wilde has achieved the incredibly rare feat of 8-Decades of chart success, our UK music icon brings warmth and joy to Christmas, at the end of this strangest of years, with the release of his first ever Christmas single. It’s a double-A side festive treat, which gift-wraps the magical ‘Christmas Fantasia’ on one side and ‘Christmas All Over The World’, on the flip – both feature duets with daughters Roxanne Rizzo Wilde and Brit Award winning Kim Wilde, plus a sprinkling of festive percussion from Brian Bennett of The Shadows. Both tracks are original fresh penning’s from Marty.
Stepping back 80 years, ‘Christmas Fantasia’, was inspired by Marty’s childhood memories of Disney Fantasia (which is 80 years old this autumn), and sees Marty, Roxanne and Kim, delivering an upbeat poignant message of magic and hope, following this year of isolation. On the Double A side, ‘Christmas All Over The World’ is an Xmas infused Christmas pudding mix of a track, taken from Marty’s current album ‘Running Together’.
7. The Arkells releases video to holiday song ‘Pub Crawl’
Arkells have dropped the official video for their first-ever holiday song Pub Crawl, an Amazon Original released last month via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Featuring band frontman Max Kerman entirely on his own, due to recent lockdown restrictions, the video, just like the song, takes viewers on a journey – with a bit of a twist from his bandmates and a nod to Home Alone. “Like anything in 2020, making a music video is an exercise in experimentation and creativity,” says Kerman. “If I couldn’t party with my boys during Pub Crawl, making 50 different life size cutouts of them was the next best thing.” Watch the official Pub Crawl video, directed by Mark Myers, HERE. Pub Crawl stems from a ‘12 Pubs of Christmas’ style tradition – a time the band reconnects with friends and family and gets into the holiday spirit.
As part of the launch campaign for Pub Crawl, Arkells leaked the track to various pubs and bars across Canada in order to encourage fans to visit their local watering holes (following proper COVID guidelines and with social distancing measures in place) and support local if they wanted to hear an advanced spin of the song.
8. Salem Iles releases festive track ‘Marry Christmas
Singer/songwriter Salem Ilese releases her festive song “Marry Christmas” just in time for the holidays. Out now via 10K Projects/Homemade Projects / EMI Records, “Marry Christmas” has all the trappings to become a Christmas pop hit with its cheery melody, bright horns, and driving beat. The new single follows up the breakout success of her August 2020 hit, “Mad At Disney” and her November 2020 single “Coke & Mentos.” Gaining significant momentum on TikTok, “Mad At Disney” has sparked the creation of over 3.1M videos and has been streamed 116M+ streams on Spotify and was featured on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits playlist for over 15 weeks. Another undeniable pop hit, Zane Lowe debuted “Coke & Mentos” on his Apple Music 1 show on November 22. Last week, Salem joined Charli D’Amelio and her family for their own “Coke & Mentos” experiment. Stream “Marry Christmas” and watch Salem’s YouTube video with the D’Amelio’s
9. Meghan Trainor releases ‘I believe in Santa’
With Christmas a little more than two weeks away, Meghan Trainor unveils a new high energy music video for her original holiday song “I Believe In Santa” starring none other than her friend, mega star JoJo Siwa.
Powered by show-stopping vocal runs and sweet seasonal swagger, the video seamlessly translates the song’s magic on-screen. After stumbling upon Santa’s house, Siwa electrifies every room she encounters with her unstoppable choreography. She dunks herself in marshmallows and hot cocoa, rocks shiny elf threads, and even inspires Santa J Claus (our favorite TikTok Santa) to bust out his breakdancing skills. Siwa perfectly performs Trainor’s lyrics, “I believe in Santa, not just in December, baby!”. The clip might just make you believe too.
“JoJo is a superstar!” said Meghan. “She works so hard and her incredible, positive energy is contagious. It was an honor to have her star in this music video!”
“I have always admired Meghan as a singer, songwriter, entertainer! I am so happy and honored to star in her video,” said JoJo. “I can’t wait for the world to see it!”
It’s just the latest anthem to be released from her first-ever Christmas album, A Very Trainor Christmas, via Epic Records. Get A Very Trainor Christmas now HERE.
10. Love Island’s Iain Stirling & Tom Houghton release Christmas song
Comedian Tom Houghton has written and recorded a Christmas Charity single ‘Dear Santa’ with Love Island’s Iain Stirling for release on 1st December via Emu Bands. ‘The track is raising money for leading charity Action for Children to help vulnerable kids to provide meals and presents over the festive period’
The video shows Tom as a MP and Iain as Santa Claus and takes place on the run up to Xmas 2020 when the government has decided that, due to the pandemic, that Christmas is cancelled… We listen to the unlucky MP as he face times Santa to break the news that, due to his diet of sherry and mince pies, he has been placed in the high-risk category and advised to stay away….
11. Runaway June deliver Christmas performance to armed forces.
