LISTEN: Jingle those bells to Queerty’s 2023 Holiday Playlist, with favorites new and old

As you make a list of everything you need for a season’s worth of holiday parties—and check it twice—let Queerty help you out with at least one merry-making must-have: A Christmastime playlist that’s gayer than the Elf On The Shelf himself!

Every year, radio airwaves, streaming platforms, and shopping mall speakers are overrun with holiday songs, new and old, looking to get you in the festive spirit. And, frankly, a lot of it can feel as stale as that fruitcake sitting in the cupboard from last year.

So, we went ahead and assembled a fresh new playlist for the 2024 holiday, a stocking stuffed with new music from LGBTQ+ artists—and a few of our favorite gay icons—as well as some longtime favorite that still make us want to jingle our bells after all these years, because classics are classics for a reason!

Below, take a peek at some holiday highlights, and keep scrolling for our full playlist so you can really make the yuletide gay!

Cher, “DJ Play A Christmas Song”

Cher’s been making music for nearly 60 years, so consider it a Christmas miracle that she’s finally delivered a holiday album after all this time—her first release with original songs in a decade. And lead single “DJ Play Christmas Song” proves she still got it, dropping a yuletide dance-floor bop like only the Goddess Of Pop could.

Matt Rogers feat. Leland & VINCINT, “Immah Have Your Back (This Christmas)”

Have you heard of Have Your Heard Of Christmas? Gunning for Mariah Carey’s gig (respectfully!) Matt Rogers’ album is full of festive and funny faves, but shout-out to this ode to gay friendship featuring the buttery-smooth vocals of Leland and VINCINT. We guarantee you’ll have it on repeat, girl (and of course we mean man)!

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RuPaul, “Baby Doll”

In a year that brought us M3GAN and Barbie blockbuster domination, Ru—always on trend—has the perfect gift for us: “Baby Doll,” an upbeat ditty that reminds us who the real “queen” of Christmas is. If this number isn’t soundtracking Old Navy commercials this season, we’ll be shocked!

Johnny Mathis, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Crooner Johnny Mathis made a name for himself with a golden voice, one that lends itself well to holiday music that perfectly captures that warm, nostalgic feeling. Though it took quite some time for him to speak publicly about his sexuality, we’re just glad Mathis is still releasing cozy Christmas albums to make the yuletide gay.

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Miki Ratsula, “Love In The Winter”

Nonbinary singer-songwriter Miki Ratsula has become one of our more recent obsessions—thanks in part to their fantastic sophomore album, i’ll be fine if i want to released earlier this year—so we were delighted to discover they released a holiday EP a few years back, including this gushingly romantic original number.

The Cheeky Girls, “Have A Cheeky Christmas”

What’s Christmas without a little camp, eh? Back in the early 2000s, Romanian twins Gabriela & Monica Irimia became a minor sensation in the U.K. with their novelty act, The Cheeky Girls, and now one of their unabashedly ridiculous holiday hits is getting a second life after appearing in the homoerotic thriller Saltburn.

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Just how gay is ‘Saltburn’? A spoiler-filled breakdown of Jacob Elordi & Barry Keoghan’s darkly funny thriller

We can think of at least three jaw-dropping scenes in ‘Saltburn’ that’ll have the gays talking for the rest of the year.

Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”

Originally released in 1958—and recorded when Brenda Lee was just 13!—”Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” has only gotten more popular with each passing year, frequently landing at No. 2 on Billboard’s Christmastime Hot 100 behind (you guessed it) Mariah. Somewhat unexpectedly, Lee dropped the first-ever official video for the classic this year, clearly gunning for that No.1 spot. And who are we to deny this 78-year old icon of chart-topping glory? STREAM AND STAN BRENDA LEE!

Mariah Carey, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

That being said, we’re pretty sure every holiday playlist is legally required to include “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” So, happy holidays, Lambs!

Listen to all these tracks and more on the playlist below—and be sure to follow Queerty on Spotify!