MUSIC
A VERY VINDI WRITTEN BY
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
Eric Seitz
Emily WIliliams
A playlist of this holiday season’s freshest tunes — dare we say, bangers??
N
December, you can’t escape the spirit of
orignal song carried. Legend’s part promotes true gentlemanly behavior while maintaining the context
the season. The holiday music scene is
of Clarkson’s part.
o matter what holiday you celebrate in
a crowded (and possibly oversaturated) market, so sorting through the hun-
dreds of renditions of Holly Jolly Christmas can be daunting. That’s why we at The Vindicator have put together a list of all the most original, fresh tunes to carry you through this holiday season. Read below about some of our favorites!
You Make It Feel Like Christmas (feat. Blake Shelton) Gwen Stefani If this song doesn’t make you believe in both true love and the spirit of the holiday season at the same time, nothing will. Life partners Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton hit home the holiday spirit, wrapped in an ode to the fuzzy, almost first-crush-level
We Need A Little Christmas Pentatonix If any artist has the holiday music scene down to a science, it’s Pentatonix. It seems that every year, more artists realize that this song is a bop, despite its outdated and, frankly, gross mention of fruit cake. This song has a frenetic and jittery air, making it a perfect match for the quintet’s fine-tuned harmonies
feelings of love.
paired with Kevin’s electrifying beat-boxing.
some of Carpenter’s lines as well as Stirling’s almost
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (feat. Sabrina Carpenter) Lindsey Stirling Carried by Stirling’s mesmerizing violin, this song is a bright and punchy take on the classic song. Carpenter’s soaring vocals stand out in a song traditionally meant for a baritone voice. Further, the cadence of foreboding instrumental interludes serve to give this
How Could This Be Christmas? Mandy Moore The existence of the mournful Christmas song is perhaps as old as Elvis’s “Blue Christmas,” however, this original feels distinctly its own while maintaining that holiday feeling. Moore’s angelic voice carries with it a melancholy weight that evokes a sentimentality
song a contemporary facelift.
for what once was.
comfort. This rendition of the song feels fitting as
Caliente Navidad Isabela Merced Bringing Peruvian flair to the Christmas scene, Isabela Merced’s self-penned original begins almost not as a holiday song at all. It’s not until the mention of mistletoe 45 seconds into the song that begins the progression toward the holiday spirit in the dance-fueled chorus. Born and raised in Cleveland, the 19-year-old singer and actress is one to watch out for. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (feat. Kelly Clarkson) John Legend With Legend’s release of this song in 2019, he seemed to single-handedly antiquate every other rendition of it—the rewording of the male part’s lines eliminate the subtext of rape and sexual harrassment that the 39 | VINDICATOR
Silver Bells She & Him A n i nt i mate, m i n i ma l ist ta ke on t h is classic, Zooey Deschanel’s alto voice combined with the adorable-sounding ukulele evoke a feeling of unusual a pandemic-riddled holiday approaches, and many prepare for a much more limited celebration of Christmas. To Christmas! (The Drinking Song) Straight No Chaser If Pentatonix are the rulers of fresh takes on holiday classics, Straight No Chaser are the kings of holiday originals with only the most relatable of lyrics (see also Text Me Merry Christmas, The Christmas CanCan, Nutcracker). Encapsulating the essence of Irish pub anthems, this song thrives on the multitude of deep and rowdy voices Straight No Chaser boasts. This song is practically begging to take the place of “Thunderstruck” for a holiday twist on the drinking game of the same name.
