Christmas Playlist: New albums for festive mood

Every Christmas season rekindles the tradition of the timeless carols and the contemporary holiday songs, that offer the soundtrack to the celebrations. This year some iconic names in pop, soul and R&B have added fresh contributions to the festive catalogue of music, while a classic album is available digitally for the first time.

BDLife has picked a Christmas Playlist to create the right mood for the holidays, whether you are on a road trip, hosting a party for family and friends or streaming music on a digital platform. These albums that have been released or re-released in the last three months contain a mix of arrangements of all-time favourites and newly-written songs.

Michael Bolton, Christmas Time: One of the best-known vocalists in pop music has recorded his second Christmas album of his career following the classic This is the Time in 1996. The album kicks off with a cheerful duet with country singer Mickey Guyton called Christmas Isn’t Christmas and the rest of the album, which contains 10 songs, comprises Bolton’s interpretations of traditional favorites

His rendition of Joy to the World with a choral accompaniment is outstanding and so is a new version of The Prayer recorded as a duet with Lara Fabian.

The iconic singer who turned 70 this year sums up the spirit of Christmas by saying: “It is all about bringing your loved ones together and music does that for us.”

Cher, Christmas: The first-ever Christmas album from the 77-year-old singer which was released in October has drawn positive reviews for its buoyant spirit. A few years ago Cher appeared on the BBC TV with an energetic performance of the lead single from the album, DJ Play A Christmas Song, a club banger reminiscent of her signature song Believe. The album contains a very varied selection of original songs and renditions of traditional Christmas songs, including collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble, Cyndi Lauper and a surprise duet with rapper Tyga

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Brandy, Christmas With Brandy: If you are in the mood for a Christmas vibe with a smooth R&B twist then look no further than this new collection from a lady who released her debut album at age 15 and has since sold over 40 million albums. Released in November, this is Brandy’s first-ever Christmas album and her debut on the venerated Motown label, which she says was a response to the requests of fans who have always wanted her to record a Christmas album

Highlights include the bouncy album opener Feels Different, the ballad Christmas Party for Two her version of Santa Baby and a duet with her daughter Sy’rai on Christmas Gift. The album which contains six original songs and an equal number of seasonal favourites, coincides with Brandy’s role in the new comedy film Best Christmas. Ever!

Teddy Pendergrass, This Christmas (I’d Rather Have Love): An album that was originally released in 1998 is back in circulation, made available to stream for the very first time in November to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

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This was the last studio album released by Pendergrass who died in January 2010 and remains one of the best-loved voices in soul music.

Pendergrass was always a romantic symbol and even on his Christmas album, he is at his best giving a romantic twist to the holidays as he does on original songs like Christmas And You, I Won’t Have Christmas and the album’s title track.

Jordin Sparks, EP: The Gift of Christmas: “I was born three days before Christmas Day so I feel like it runs through my veins,” says Sparks in the promotional video for her holiday EP.

A four-song set released in November came as a surprise to the fans of the American singer and actress who rose to fame after winning the sixth season of the singing competition American Idol in 2007, at the age of just 17.

The whole process of making the album was kept under wraps until the release date. Her beautiful voice rises to the occasion with her renditions of All Come All Ye Faithful, Jingle Bells,Angels We Have Heard on High and Silent Night. Recording these traditional songs that everybody knows and loves, in her own style, Sparks says, was a no-brainer.

John Legend, EP: A Legendary Christmas (Sped Slowed): John Legend takes three of the 14 songs from his 2018 and for a new EP containing two versions of each song, one slowed and the other in a sped-up tempo.

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The selected songs are What Christmas Means to Me featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica, Bring Me Love and his version of the John Lennon classic Happy Xmas (War is Over). This Christmas is a special one for Legend, who together with his wife, the model Chrissy Teigen, have welcomed two new babies, one via surrogate, to their family this year.

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