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Home , The Christmas Present

MONDAY DECEMBER 21 2020 LIFESTYLE 31

CAMERON ADAMS

DELTA – ONLY SANTA KNOWS

****Goodrem’s first festive release was a bluegrass themed EP a few years back. The original title track of this full is like a Beatles- meets-Carpenters Christmas song. THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM’S Produced with musical partner Matthew Copley, they opt for lush classics (White Christmas, Deck the Halls) filled with POPULARITY MAKES IT A BIG DEAL strings, guitar, joy and wonder. A cover of Joni Mitchell’s River is a treat, while her FOR SOME OF POP’S BIGGEST NAMES duets range from mate ONJ (on the cute original Merry Christmas To You) to the late Gurrumul on a stunning Silent Night. JAMIE CULLUM – THE PIANOMAN AT Why yule never CHRISTMAS ****It takes big baubles to make an entire original Christmas album. But British jazz man Jamie Cullum delivers bigtime. Inspired by heroes Nat King Cole stop the music and Frank Sinatra, it’s a brassy delight. There’s real swagger on Hang Your Lights (including an Andrews Sisters-esque interlude) and Turn On the Lights’ For a few years Buble felt album. The ethereal nature of Dolly Parton Christmas Is You), Human booming energy is ELO meets Billy Joel. FESTIVE RELEASES overwhelmed by the ongoing the strings, and the heart of it showcasing Nature’s Christmas Album Cullum loves that Rat Pack vibe – see So CAMERON ADAMS success of the Christmas being the real instruments and her Holly from 2013, which should Many Santas or The Jolly Fat Man – and the record — and the annual a genuine message in the Dolly clock up its 52nd non- deluxe edition has a jazzy take on Mariah’s hen Delta memes of him coming out of originals.” Christmas consecutive week on the anthem for good measure. Goodrem his cave. Goodrem roped in pal album; chart this year and Susan DOLLY – A HOLLY started He felt the Christmas Olivia Newton-John for the Michael Boyle’s 2010 release The Gift. recording record was swamping his album’s other original, Merry Buble (inset); This year pensioner pin-up DOLLY CHRISTMAS her first original music, then got a Christmas to You. “She loves and, Delta Andre Rieu has weighed in Christmas major reality check when his Christmas,” Goodrem says. Goodrem with his fifth, by our count, ****For her third Christmas Walbum — in July — she knew son Noah was diagnosed with ONJ is no slouch with (below) has Christmas release Jolly release, Dolly goes direct there was one man to beat at cancer. festive — releasing her released Holiday which entered the to her competition and the pointy end of the year: “I was worried people were own, Christmas Wish, in 2007, Only Santa ARIA chart at No. 10. duets with Buble. Cuddle Michael Buble. connecting me to Christmas as well as Christmas duet Knows . There’s also brand new Up, Cozy Down “He’s the king of in a negative way with that albums with John Travolta Christmas albums this year Christmas plays to both their strengths, Christmas,” Goodrem says. ‘Buble is coming out of his (2012’s This Christmas) and from Dolly Parton, Calexico, while You Are My Christmas, with brother Indeed Buble’s Christmas, cave’ meme. I reacted that John Farnham (2016’s Friends Carrie Underwood, Shaggy, Randy, touches on their dirt poor youth. released in 2011, is the modern year. I was part of something for Christmas). Meghan Trainor, Tori Kelly, Dolly covers all bases on a duet with both blueprint for festive releases. so beautiful and special and Following Buble’s lead, that Jamie Cullum, Pentatonix, Miley Cyrus (the off-brand but sweet Christmas has now sold more unique and in a horrible world album has been reissued since Mandy Moore, Leslie Odom Christmas Is) and also her father Billy Ray than one million copies in where all this stuff is going on initial release. Kylie Jnr, Tim McCallum and the Cyrus. There’s also Willie Nelson on the Australia (Adele’s 21, also that was one of the things that Minogue’s Kylie Christmas, Goo Goo Dolls. old-school country Pretty Paper, while released in 2011, is the only was good. I was part of released in 2015, was released Get yourself on to a Jimmy Fallon turns Mariah’s All I Want For other album in the past something bringing joy.” the following year as a Snow Christmas streaming playlist Christmas Is You into a friendly duet. decade to crack the seven- He’s since rediscovered Queen Edition with more and it can be festive coin each figure mark here). that joy in his Christmas songs. year. KINGSWOOD – Since its release, there’s record again. Minogue’s most popular delved A KINGSWOOD only been three years where it “Even when we were Christmas song, a cover of into the festive game with last CHRISTMAS hasn’t been the Christmas recording it I knew we were , was originally year’s The Christmas Present No.1. Buble’s label has doing something special,” released as a B-side and has — he originally wanted to call repackaged Christmas almost Buble says. now become her second song it Achtung Buble as a tribute ****In lockdown Melbourne every year with different It’s the fact he adapted his (after Can’t Get You Out of to the King of Christmas. rockers Kingswood tracks or duets, or reissuing it personality to well-loved My Head) to crack 100 million He’s reissued it this year revisited their latest on different coloured vinyls. songs that made the record an streams on Spotify. with a 2020-themed new album, then dropped this They accidentally benefited instant modern classic, Australia’s most song, Can’t Stop Christmas. very unexpected festive release (with all from calling it Christmas long according to Goodrem. popular Christmas “My raison d’etre for the proceeds going to Beyond Blue). Picture before the era of Alexa – “He sounds exactly like albums of the past last few years has been to yourself sitting in a jazz bar and they’re marketing shows that when who he is as an artist,” she decade, aside from make a Christmas album pumping out White Christmas and Santa people ask smart speakers to says. Buble and John and that stays around in the Claus is Coming to Town with lashings of “play Christmas songs” you’re “That’s what I wanted to Livvie, are Mariah fabric of everybody’s saxophone, flute, double bass and big likely to start getting Buble’s achieve in my album Only Carey’s 1994 release musical history for the rest band-inspired fun. The harmonies are on festive material because of the Santa Knows. I wanted it to Merry Christmas (home of time and annoys many point for Let It Snow! and the high notes name of the album. sound like a Delta Christmas to All I Want For people,” Williams says. on are top of the tree. V1 - NTNE01Z01MA