The annual race for the UK’s Christmas number one is officially underway, with familiar holiday anthems once again dominating the charts. Millenium TV’s music desk reports that festive mainstays from Wham!, Mariah Carey, and Noddy Holder have already re-entered the Top 40, benefiting significantly from streaming figures that often propel older hits past contemporary releases during the holiday season.
However, this year presents a genuine challenge to the traditional chart-toppers, with several new and reimagined tracks vying for the coveted Christmas crown. Pop superstar Kylie Minogue is a leading contender with her new track, “XMAS.” The song, a “sparkly bauble of pop frivolity,” was recorded for the 10th-anniversary edition of her “Kylie Christmas” album.
“I had one song that I needed to exorcise,” Minogue shared. “It’s been 10 years in the making.” Recorded during a break from her Tension World Tour, the track benefits from being an Amazon exclusive, receiving a chart boost as smart speakers prioritize it when playing Christmas music.
McFly frontman Tom Fletcher also enters the fray with “One Of Us.” Fletcher, who admitted to an “unhealthy obsession with Christmas” and a long-held desire to write a festive song, found his opportunity through an unusual route: composing the score for the new Paddington musical. “One Of Us” is a poignant ballad from the show, reflecting the Brown family’s realization of the bear’s importance. Fletcher highlighted, “The ideas behind Christmas are very much in line with Paddington, who essentially represents kindness. That feels like a nice message to be spreading at this time of year.”
Meanwhile, Alison Limerick’s 1990 piano house classic, “Where Love Lives,” is experiencing an unexpected renaissance after being featured in the recent John Lewis Christmas advert. Limerick expressed delight at the renewed attention: “This whole whirlwind of excitement is all new because there was no launch, really, the first time round. It was so early in the life cycle of house music coming up from the underground. DJs loved it and all the gay clubs loved it – but there wasn’t the media attention.”
Icelandic-Chinese artist Laufey offers a cozy take on “Winter Wonderland,” from her expanded Christmas EP, “A Very Laufey Holiday.” The Grammy-nominated artist explained that the 1934 classic “really captures the feeling of the early season excitement, when it starts getting colder, the snow starts falling, and everything is hidden by a white blanket of snow.” Her version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” also incorporates lesser-known lyrics from the original 1930s version, a twist she found “exciting to put my own spin on a classic and bring some old flare into a new recording.”
Roland Gift, known for his work with the 80s band Fine Young Cannibals, has released “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas” following a major UK tour. Gift revealed the song initially had a darker tone, “It actually used to be called Pop Suicide, and it was quite a sad, dark song about how kids get into pop thinking it’s going to be [glamorous] and they end up broke or worse.” Thankfully, a rewrite transformed it into a more joyful tune. “I like the sentiment of it,” Gift stated. “Let’s forget our woes, let’s not fight any more. Just enjoy this period and we can put the gloves back on after New Year.”
Guernsey singer Emily Fern contributes “Christmas Dream,” a twinkling ballad penned “quite accidentally” in a church hall. The track was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a full string section provided by the London Symphony Orchestra, a moment Fern described as “unreal.” Adding to the unique collaboration, Happy Mondays legend Bez made a guest appearance, contributing his talent on the triangle.
Grammy-winning singer Alya, originally from Russia and raised in Ukraine, offers a glistening rendition of “Silent Night,” featuring Eric Clapton. Recalling her childhood Christmases spent mending shoes and singing carols for change, Alya describes the collaboration as a “dream come true.” She explained the magic of recording a Christmas song amidst summer heat: “When you’re recording [a Christmas song] in the middle of the summer, you’re sort of putting yourself emotionally, intentionally, energetically into this magical state. And I feel it actually adds magic to the creation.”
As the festive season deepens, Millenium TV will continue to monitor the heated competition for this year’s most sought-after chart position.
© Millenium TV
