ALBUM REVIEW
"Wrapped in Red," already?BY MEGHAN MOLONEY ON NOVEMBER 15, 2013
The phrase “Christmas in July” is on its way to becoming a reality. Maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration, but “Christmas in October” is pretty accurate. I love going all out for the holidays, but I think starting the festivities in October is just a little excessive. It seems like the stores went from back-to-school straight to Christmas, skipping fall completely.
Kelly Clarkson contributed to the “Christmas in October” attitude this year by releasing her first Christmas album, “Wrapped in Red,” on Oct. 29. These 14 songs were some of the first holiday songs I’d heard this year, and I was honestly not looking forward to listening to Christmas music before Halloween. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Clarkson and her unbelievable voice will get listeners in the holiday spirit, ready or not. Clarkson has included some remade classics on the album, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” “White Christmas,” and “Silent Night.” She has put her own spin on these classics so that they are not monotonous. My favorite classic is “Silent Night,” for which she collaborated with Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood. The best aspects of this album, however, are Clarkson’s originals. Five of the 14 songs are original, and they include the album’s namesake “Wrapped in Red,” my personal favorite “Underneath the Tree,” the upbeat “4 Carats,” the piano ballad “Just For Now,” and the sweet sounding “Winter Dreams.” If any of these turn out to be classics, my guess is that it will be “Underneath the Tree.” It just has the perfect peppy holiday feel to it, and I can already see my friends and I jamming out to it on the first day of Christmas break. Clarkson added another surprise element into her album by recreating “The Sound of Music’s” “My Favorite Things” into a Christmas song. A broadway song turned holiday sounds strange, I know, but it works really well. Needless to say, Clarkson and her angelic voice surprised me on this one. “Wrapped in Red” has the perfect mix of originals and classics, and the classics were given a unique flair. It might be a little early for some of us, but if you’re ready for the holidays, go check out “Wrapped in Red.” It’s sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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