Christmas is the perfect season to be rockin’ around the Christmas tree to some new jams. Every year artists release Christmas albums that include supposedly new Christmas songs – but, let’s be real, every Christmas song starts to sound the same after some time – and their rendition of classic Christmas songs. This year, the iconic Christmas singers from Pentatonix released yet another Christmas album called “Christmas Is Here!”
Pentatonix begins new album with the classics, such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” Per usual, they sound amazing, but they bring a new sound with this album, making it a little smoother and more upbeat than the normal Christmas songs.
This new sound is refreshing to hear because, as I previously stated, most artists sing very generically over typical Christmas beats, causing the music to be – wait for it – very generic. Pentatonix’s new sound allows them to draw in new audiences, as well as keep their same audience on their toes in preparation for what the group puts out.
In addition to making the classics sound new, Pentatonix remakes “Making Christmas,” a song from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This was a bold move considering most people don’t affiliate that movie with Christmas. They were able to take a spooky Christmas song and incorporate a joyful feeling into it, a feat most artists could not achieve.
In addition to their new sound, Pentatonix added special guest artists to help them bring home the holidays, which is something Pentatonix does not usually do. Incorporating new voices into their traditional sounds is difficult to do, so they had to include people who would really stand out while still blending in, and of course they picked the very best to do so.
With special guest artists, Kelly Clarkson and Maren Morris, the acapella group is able to create even more unique sounds. From Clarkson’s raspy and soulful sound on “Grown-Up Christmas List” to Maren Morris’s ability to blend in and create a new sound that the group has not yet put out on “When You Believe.” The groups’ versatility in music (whether they’re making pop music to Christmas music) is what makes them stand out from other bands/artists.
Although the group sounds immaculate when recreating the classic Christmas carols, an area they could’ve improved on with this album is to incorporate their own Christmas songs. Yes, the group is known for doing covers, however, since they have written songs before I think they could’ve branched out of their comfort zone a little more and written their own Christmas songs. This could’ve helped the album have a bigger impact and make it that much more unique
When comparing this album to that of their other Christmas albums, “Christmas Is Here!” is definitely their best. Though their “That’s Christmas to Me” album is more widely known due to the overwhelming success of their rendition of “Mary Did You Know”, this one brings a different sound and a different style that allows it to stand out amongst other Christmas song covers.
When it comes to Christmas albums, Pentatonix will always be on top and they will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Their style and their versatility allow them to still be a mainstream topic when it comes to the holidays. “Christmas Is Here!” is without a doubt their best holiday album and, hopefully, it receives the attention it should during the holiday season this year.
Photo Courtesy of axs.com
Thanks for information! Good luck!