Revive the Classic Christmas Carol

Current Pop Stars Revive Christmas Songs of Old with Novel Touches

Dec 2, 2008

Carols are synonymous with holidays, but listening to the same crooners every year grows dull. Solution - refresh your yuletide song list with up-and-coming ballads.

Whether its listening to them on the radio or going door to door with a choir, Christmas carols are everywhere during the holiday season. The problem is that some - even the most beloved songs - can start to sound a bit old and stale on their umpteenth listen. Thankfully, not only have today's pop stars created new carols, but they've also added fresh twists to the classics.

Newbies To the Noel Scene

First recorded by Amy Grant in 1992, it takes the platinum pipes of Jessica Simpson to deliver this poignant song that doesn't dwell on the miracle of the Christ Child's birth, but focuses on the bewilderment and fear that must have gone through the mind of a young girl saddled with such a responsibility. With the verse: "Do you wonder as you watch my face/if a wiser one should have had my place?" turns the extolled Virgin Mary into another teenager, who is to be admired for accepting a larger burden than she is prepared to shoulder.

A cheeky alternative to the flirtatious Baby It's Cold Outside, the Squirrel Nut Zippers slip in the swing with the sassy in their Winter Weather ballad. With the lyrics "I Love the winter weather/because the two of us can get together" sung with a Benny Goodman-esq beat, its the type of song where lovers cannot resist dancing cheek to cheek.

In vintage Sarah McLachlan fashion, she makes a song so achingly beautiful that tears fall even as hearts are uplifted. Song for a Winter's Night is a non-traditional song that, though rarely categorized as a 'Christmas Song', captures the nuances of the season. With the lyrics: "If I could only have you near, to breathe a sigh or two/I would be happy, just to hold the hands of love, on this winter night with you", it is a song that waxes poetic to love as much as it does to the season.

Rejoyce in Remakes

With her pixie physique and independent punk/goth style, Stacie Orrico has been overlooked for far too long. Anyone questioning her vocal abilities needs to only listen to her rendition of "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" to realize that the girl has more in common with Billie Holiday than with any pop culture princess.

It's no secret that Christina Aguilera has the kind of natural musical ability that hasn't been seen since Judy Garland opened her mouth. However, her Christmas CD, with such gospel-infused numbers as Angels We Have Heard On High, will turn anyone into a believer.

Alternative Treats

While it is assumed that the Indie/Folk scene shuns holiday fervor, the following artists and the songs they sing will remind all Scrooges that the season is truly for everyone.

It's auspicious debut might have been in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with the irreplaceable Dolly Parton singing, but the tune "Hard Candy Christmas" as sung by folk angel, Leigh Nash, is a bittersweet reminder that the holidays are sometimes cheerful and sometimes they are just a hard day that is a little harder to get through.

The members of the orchestral ensemble Bond might look like the latest models for Sports Illustrated, but their musicality as they take a classic number from The Nutcracker Ballet and turn it into an invigorating, fiery, balletic piece that throbs across the sound waves.

The copyright of the article Revive the Classic Christmas Carol in Current Pop Music is owned by Erin Haley. Permission to republish Revive the Classic Christmas Carol in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.