Mariah Carey officially announces the beginning of the holiday season

[Teletubby 150,872]

now it it official 

 

[aaron l 11,999]

YAAAAS... I live and breathe Halloween, but Christmas brings me a warm and comfort that I'm definitely needing.  I love Mariah season!

[MoonIight 1,372]

She's been clinging onto this Xmas carol for years now... But imagine how tired we are of it

[River 117,735]

all i want for xmas is you from social distance awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

[StrawberryBlond 14,916]

I sometimes wonder why more singers don't actively release Christmas songs to try to get their own Mariah-level festive hit that they can wheel out every year to keep money pouring in regardless of what they're releasing...and then I realise that actually many have. In fact, Christmas albums have been pretty common the last few years but none of those songs seem to hit this level of replayability or legend status, even when they're from big names like Ariana and Justin. I wonder why that is?

[ThisGuyTony 31,076]

Christmas has lost its charm because of how early the campaigns start year after year. I won’t acknowledge “Christmas season” til after Thanksgiving.

[Kitana 1,829]

[PsychoMaxcara 814]

17 minutes ago, StrawberryBlond said:

I sometimes wonder why more singers don't actively release Christmas songs to try to get their own Mariah-level festive hit that they can wheel out every year to keep money pouring in regardless of what they're releasing...and then I realise that actually many have. In fact, Christmas albums have been pretty common the last few years but none of those songs seem to hit this level of replayability or legend status, even when they're from big names like Ariana and Justin. I wonder why that is?

I think you answered your own question here. None of the other Christmas songs released by major artists today are great songs on their own. Also, Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas" is an uptempo (almost dance) song, so the appeal of it is huge. Justin released his Christmas album when he was still a teen so those songs have limited appeal, and Ariana's "Santa Tell Me" is cute, but it's not a hit material. It lacks the catchy upbeat sensation. When AIWFC starts, it captures the listener's attention immediately with the festive & soulful intro and once the chorus hits it's over. A #1 record was born. 

I'm pretty sure it's possible to write a timeless Christmas bop, after all - there's Last Christmas by Wham! and Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon, it's just that many artists don't approach the Christmas concept with respect. They treat it more as a cash grab, rather than an actual song that they put effort into.

[Sister 9,907]

lol even Taylor Swift's Christmas song failed 

[Thomas P 18,479]

47 minutes ago, StrawberryBlond said:

I sometimes wonder why more singers don't actively release Christmas songs to try to get their own Mariah-level festive hit that they can wheel out every year to keep money pouring in regardless of what they're releasing...and then I realise that actually many have. In fact, Christmas albums have been pretty common the last few years but none of those songs seem to hit this level of replayability or legend status, even when they're from big names like Ariana and Justin. I wonder why that is?

AIWFCIY has become a staple. That’s one of the hardest things an artist can make, and Mariah was truly the last to do it. 
Others can try, but this one has officially become the Christmas song to end all modern Christmas songs, and I don’t think that will ever change. 

[StrawberryBlond 14,916]

38 minutes ago, PsychoMaxcara said:

I think you answered your own question here. None of the other Christmas songs released by major artists today are great songs on their own. Also, Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas" is an uptempo (almost dance) song, so the appeal of it is huge. Justin released his Christmas album when he was still a teen so those songs have limited appeal, and Ariana's "Santa Tell Me" is cute, but it's not a hit material. It lacks the catchy upbeat sensation. When AIWFC starts, it captures the listener's attention immediately with the festive & soulful intro and once the chorus hits it's over. A #1 record was born. 

I'm pretty sure it's possible to write a timeless Christmas bop, after all - there's Last Christmas by Wham! and Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon, it's just that many artists don't approach the Christmas concept with respect. They treat it more as a cash grab, rather than an actual song that they put effort into.

True, but it's not like the public's that concerned about top notch quality. Those ones you quoted are very old, older than AIWFCIY. I'm talking about ones from the 00's or more recent. I can't believe that a song from 1994 was the last modern classic Christmas song we've got. I think Leona Lewis's One More Sleep is even better and it's a considered a modern classic here in the UK, it returns to the charts every year since it was released in 2013 and she usually performs it every Christmas. It clearly takes notes from AIWFCIY's book and I think the lyrics are even better. It's a shame America hasn't picked up on it.

17 minutes ago, Thomas P said:

AIWFCIY has become a staple. That’s one of the hardest things an artist can make, and Mariah was truly the last to do it. 
Others can try, but this one has officially become the Christmas song to end all modern Christmas songs, and I don’t think that will ever change. 

If it was a new song released today though, would it be as successful? I have the feeling it caught on at just the right time but you'll notice how her later attempts at Christmas songs didn't work out. Not saying it's a bad song, just wondering what kept this one around so long where others failed.

[ToxicHot 6,444]

Ugh 

[Quartz 12,555]

This song is a living prehistoric meme I love it.

[julz 7,377]

Here in the Philippines, we start feeling the Christmas holidays when September starts. People start putting decors and playing songs, we have the longest Christmas celebration.