The Scene

Biebs, Bublé, Glee, and More: Must-Have Holiday Albums for 2011

Published on Monday, December 05 2011
Written by Super User

It’s the beginning of December, and you know what that means: time to start playing Christmas music 24/7. Instead of digging for old records, check out some of these new holiday albums that promise to bring cheer into your home this season!

Justin Bieber recently released his first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe, topping the Billboard 200 albums chart at No. 1 in its debut week. On the album are duets with The Band Perry, Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes, Usher, and Mariah Carey for a rendition of her classic Christmas jingle “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The CD is a mix of classic holiday songs (“Drummer Boy,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” “The Christmas Song”, and “Silent Night”) and original music written by the Biebs himself, including smash hit “Mistletoe,” which he recently performed at the American Music Awards. A portion of the proceeds from his album will be donated to various charities, including Justin’s Believe Charity Drive and The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.

Another Canadian pop singer bringing holiday cheer in the form of a Christmas album is Michael Bublé, with his second seasonal record Christmas, covering classics such as “Silent Night,” “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “White Christmas”, and “Santa Baby.” Bublé also recorded Mariah Carey’s classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” but as a slower and more original rendition. He also collaborated with Shania Twain and Thalia for duets on the album. Even though Bublé has released music tracks before, this is his first full-length holiday collection.

For all you Gleeks out there, the cast of “Glee” has released their second Christmas album, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Volume 2, and have added a few surprises for their fans: Characters making their debut on a “Glee” holiday album include Miss Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) and Rory (Damian McGinty), who were not part of Volume 1; Fans' most-requested song for the “Glee” 2010 Christmas album was Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which didn’t make the cut back then, but is now featured on Volume 2; Finally, some new voices are on the album, including all four of the finalists from “The Glee Project” including: Damian McGinty ("Blue Christmas"), Samuel Larsen, Cory Monteith and Mark Salling lending their vocals for "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and runners-up Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell duet on "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

If pop music doesn’t suit you, the folk/indie rock duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, otherwise known as She & Him, have released a holiday record covering all the Christmas classics. Despite being a duo, not all of the singles on the track are covered in dual fashion; Deschanel solos “Christmas Day’’ and “Little Saint Nick’’, while Ward shines during his guitar solo in “Sleigh Ride.” Deschanel and Ward break away from the mold as neither of them cover Mimi’s classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” This is the first holiday album for the pair, but their third album as a duo.

What album do you dust off at Christmas time? We want to hear!

 

- Audrey Cook, YH Staff