It may have been sweltering outside during the month of July, but inside a studio in Nashville it was nothing but chilly A/C blasts and yuletide cheer as RCA recording artist Chris Young had Christmas on his mind. The result – the release of his highly anticipated first ever Christmas album, It Must be Christmas.
Continuing the magic found on Young’s latest studio album, I’m Comin’ Over, Christmas is co-produced by Young and pal Corey Crowder, containing ten holiday tracks, including two original songs and three rather nostalgic collaborations.
While Young shows off his vocal prowess, impressive range, and savvy production on the traditional pieces, his two original songs, title track “It Must be Christmas,” (Young, Johnny Bulford, and Will Doughty) and “Under the Weather” (Young, Corey Crowder, and Josh Hoge) are perfection in both writing and vocals, Young honing his ability to pull listeners into each song with ease. But don’t let the title fool you –“Under the Weather” is DEFINITELY not about feeling ill. With his velvety smooth baritone, it is unimaginably sexy. Young paints the picture perfect night with the one you love. A night where there’s nothing one wants, but to spend it cuddled up near a cozy fire:
It’s cold outside/ You and I ain’t gotta go nowhere/ I can start a fire, lay beside ya/ all night right here/ The snow’s comin down/ and it won’t be the only thing falling/ So let’s stay here together/ Under the weather
So while one original may make listeners hot and bothered, the title track, “It Must Be Christmas,” evokes an emotion of what the holiday is all about – family and being together. Well written lyrics describe how, as the holiday approaches, it tends to remind people of what they love most about the family togetherness of it all.
All you see is red and green/ people wearing winter coats/ every church has a nativity for everyone/ that’s how you know/When there’s lights on every street/ Snowflakes on everything/ Well it’s just what you’ve been waiting for all year/ When you believe in Santa Clause/ When you give gifts just because/ When you drive all night only to be near/ the one’s you love/ Well it must be Christmas
Being that the holidays bring joy, rememberance, and admittedly nostalgia, it’s fitting that Young selected the collaborations he has for this album. “There’s a New Kid in Town” features Alan Jackson, who sang the song with the late Keith Whitley in 1993. Fans realize the importance on two counts – Young opened for Jackson on tour during his career’s infancy, and he’s also a huge fan of Whitley’s, having purchased one of the late singers guitars and covering his songs regularly in concert. So while this may be Chris’ album, he pays respect and Mr. Jackson gets lead on the first chorus while Chris softly harmonizes.
The iconic Christmas tune “The First Noel” turned into an amazing duet between the Young and former tourmate Brad Paisley, as Young’s baritone vocals mixed with Paisley’s higher register make for beautiful harmonies. But that shouldn’t be a surprise to many – Young regularly joined Paisley onstage during the latter’s 2013 Beat This Summer Tour, essentially giving Young’s career the boost it needed to propel into stardom. And finally, “Silent Night” features legendary R&B group Boyz II Men, a personal favorite of Young’s. And the uncanny collaboration is beautiful – with their graceful style, the groups beautiful harmonies add an amazing backdrop to Young’s traditional rendition. Together they all created this church like atmosphere with organs, strings, and a softly strumming guitar.
This album is an amazing mix of old and new and we couldn’t say enough higly about it. It really would make a great addition to your holiday music collection, and you can purchase It Must Be Christmas on Amazon and ITunes.
It Must Be Christmas Track Listing
- The Christmas song
- Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
- Under The Weather
- There’s a New Kid in Town (feat. Alan Jackson)
- Holly Jolly Christmas
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- The first Noel (feat. Brad Paisley)
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas
- Silent Night (feat. Boyz II Men)
- It Must Be Christmas