PART II: Three unconventional Christmas music recommendations to spice up your Spotify playlist “two queens in a king sized bed” by girl in red graphic by Caroline Xie On November 18, girl in red released “two queens in a king sized bed.” The most streamed songs by Marie Ulven, who goes by girl in red, are “we fell in love in october” and “i wanna be your girlfriend,” both of which are beautifully crafted love songs. However, this new single is her first Christmas song. As suggested by the name, the song describes one of Ulven’s past girlfriends and the feeling of lying together in bed. This song is about being in love during the holidays, and Ulven creates a song that perfectly encapsulates both the festive and romantic feelings. Like most of girl in red’s songs, “two queens in a king sized bed” is an indie-pop song. The overall tone is quite mellow and peaceful, although by the chorus, the song picks up and the festive nature of it shines through with a melody that is reminiscent of other Christmas music. With Ulven’s calming voice and the steady piano accompaniment, “two queens in a king sized bed” is worth the listen. PART II: Three unconventional Christmas music recommendations to spice up your Spotify playlist “If We Make It Through December” by Phoebe Bridgers graphic by Caroline Xie The song “If We Make It Through December” was originally written by Merle Haggard in 1973. However, singer Phoebe Bridgers has recently released an EP of the same name where she covers said song and three other Christmas songs. The lyrics of the song explore the melancholy state that many people experience during the Christmas season. It is slower and more lethargic than your typical holiday music, but a sad Christmas song is still a Christmas song. The album also includes three other songs that are much more well-known: “7 O’clock News/Silent Night (with Fiona Apple and Matt Berninger), “Christmas Song,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Even though they’re all covers of pre-existing songs, it is pleasant to hear Phoebe Bridgers’s take on them. Her soft, tender voice covers these songs completely and transforms them, making each one of them her own. They’re serenely sung and account for the lows and the overlooked, not-so-cheerful moments of the holiday season. “We’re The Lucky Ones” by The Marías PART II: Three unconventional Christmas music recommendations to spice up your Spotify playlist graphic by Caroline Xie Releasing mostly indie pop and psychedelic soul singles, The Marías consists of María Zardoya, Josh Conway, Edward James, Jesse Perlman, and Carter Lee. Their most well-known song is “I Don’t Know You” with its catchy beat, but this year, the Marías also wrote a Christmas song for the holiday season. “We’re The Lucky Ones” is a song illustrating the nostalgia toward Christmas and remembering all of the special moments. Despite sounding more melancholy than the classic Christmas song, its lyrics are genuinely hopeful. It describes everything that the singers are looking forward to and how they are pushing through their current struggles for it. The first line — “I can’t wait for Christmas we’ll be happier than we have” — displays the idea of persisting through life until the holiday. In 2020, when hopelessness is present all around, this song is especially resonating. It is unique in that it portrays more complex feelings toward the usually festive Christmas season. .