The chestnuts are beginning to roast, the reindeer are getting their hooves polished, and every retail store in America is cueing up seven different versions of “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”. It must be the Holiday season!
It can be tough to find new releases from queer and queer-adjacent artists, when half the new Christmas music out is by Acousticguitar Straightman (feat. Some Lady). That’s why we’ve gathered up the freshest gems of the season for you to get your ho-ho-homo on.
Check out these five new gay Christmas faves, and keep scrolling for our full-length Holiday playlist!
“Show Me That You Festive” by RuPaul
After the past couple years, it’s no wonder Mariah can’t trademark “Queen of Christmas” — RuPaul is coming for her crown! We’ve gotten her Holi-slay Spectacular, The B*tch Who Stole Christmas, and the “Hey Sis, it’s Christmas!” Old Navy commercials. Put those with THEE ornament of 2021, and she’s basically Mrs. Claus in heels. The song is perfect for the early Christmas enjoyers, kicking off with “I was born a November baby, but I prefer December, baby!”
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“Magic” by Lindsey Stirling & David Archuleta
The premier Christmas violinist has wrangled in “Crush”-singing bi cutie David Archuleta for a chilly, charming duet. It’s in that “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” vein of “life is hard, but we love Christmas!” messaging, but in a much nicer, lighter package. It’s no wonder that these two Mormon music-makers came together to make the most saccharine winter track of the year.
“Jingle Those Bells” by Debbie Gibson
“Jingle Those Bells” is, as the title would suggest, quintessential Christmas pop. Decades-enduring diva Debbie Gibson knows how to put together a crowd pleaser, and this tried-and-true helping of Holiday cheer is further evidence of such. It also vaguely brings to mind the viral “are you ready to jingle your bells?” video that lives on as a mandatory annual watch.
“Kid On Christmas” by Pentatonix feat. Meghan Trainor
Your favorite acapella band-turned-professional Christmas carolers are here with another seasonal collection. This time, they’re presenting Holidays Around The World, teaming up with the likes of Lea Salonga and Shreya Ghoshal for a little international flair. The album kicks off right in the US of A with Meghan Trainor duet “Kid On Christmas”. We can’t help but wish Scott and Mitch were still working on the sensational queer pop of their Superfruit duo, but these jingling bells seem to pay the bills well.
“A Smoky Mountain Christmas” by Dolly Parton
Day-one Dolly fans know this track, “A Smoky Mountain Christmas”, comes right from her 1986 made-for-TV movie of the same name. However, a soundtrack from this movie-musical was never released. Now, 36 years later, three songs from the film have been recorded and added to the “Ultimate Deluxe” edition of A Holly Dolly Christmas. There’s never a bad time for a ho-ho-hoedown!
Check out our these and other tracks in our official Holiday playlist:
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Rikki Roze
Xmas is so boring. Can’t we just ignore it until it goes away?
bachy
I believe in the fundamental message of Christmas: a message of love, hope and peace. OK, fine: I’m down with that. But those quiet sentiments are completely buried ‘neath a noisy avalanche of desperation for commercial attention from shoppers starting as early as September (and some consumers begin even earlier). TV, movies, music, magazines, on the streets, online: everybody is frantically selling something and trying to get in your face with it. It’s a crazymaking, nauseating blend of maudlin sentimentality, family guilt and ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’ I really try to limit my exposure to the commercial aspects of the holidays – which means I spend a lot of time wrapped in a blanket inside my tiny apartment, reading books and waiting for it all to be over.
Squeak
Well said Bachy. My sentiments exactly . . . and apart from the warmth of Dolly, I find all these “songs” so violently raucous & noisy that they in fact contradict the quiet joy that there should be in the message of love & peace.
abfab
bachy,
If you ever get the chance, fly and take the last two weeks of Dec in Italy. It’s a real kick in the pants. Scandanavia, too. It’s just so beautiful, the celebrations, the languages, the lights! The US is over. It seems to have a way of destroying things.
Neoprene
Let’s focus on what’s really important here people: I find Archuleta to be incredibly sexy! Keep on keepin on, ya lil Mormon hottie!
Dyana B
In my humble opinion, Christmas is whatever you want it to be, and even though they’re commercializing the holiday, doesn’t mean that I have to follow suit. I love the way my home looks during the holiday season, beautifully decorated. Since I was a child, I was always so fascinated with the Christmas tree, beautifully adorned by my mother. There was never any kind of religious attachment to it. As children, most of us believed in Santa Claus and this time of year has always made me very happy, and I am not ashamed to admit that I still believe in Santa Claus and all that Christmas means to me. Enjoy the holiday for whatever it is you want it to be. And Rikki, I’m sorry to read that you find Xmas so boring. Try and enjoy the gathering of loved ones and friends, and I hope you’ll feel a little better about it.
LumpyPillows
Xmas is a hoot…it is what you make of it.
cynthia_foxe
too long to read babe………….
jackscott
Always great to hear Dolly! I also like Debbie now that she is older.
abfab
Play December Will Be Magic Again by Kate Bush.
Play New Year’s Day by Carole King (video)
Play Christmas Time Is Here by Vince Guaraldi (Charlie Brown)
LumpyPillows
These songs are OK. Dolly’s is the only one that sounds like a Christmas song to me.
As a proud pagan/high priest of Apollo, I love Christmas as the celebration of the Winter Solstice. I like buying thoughtful presents for my peeps – it is shopping, after all. I agree that the incessant commercials need to stop and anyone who decorates before Thanksgiving should be given the Serial Mom white-shoes-after-labor-day treatment.
I don’t mind Christians and their X-mas zeal; I do mind their failure to be Scrooge after the coming of the spirits. I don’t mind them saying Merry Christmas. I do insist on saying Happy Holidays though myself.
abfab
The routine part is what annoys me. But I adore Apollo and being at Stonehenge for Soltice with the lovely freaks and old hippies. Ommmmmmmmmm.
LumpyPillows
LOL. Ommmmmmm.
cynthia_foxe
ole ru still fracking on her land????