The end of Fall Quarter is near, which probably means stress is building up as you’re wishing for Christmas to come already. During these times, it’s nice to put on some festive songs and pretend it’s the holiday season already. Even though you have a few weeks to go and assignments and exams are piling up, here are five pop bops to brighten up your day!
1. “December” by Ariana Grande
Courtesy of Republic
This is a cute and chill song that doesn’t feel overly Christmas-y. It’s a nice song to listen to when you feel a lil’ festive but not so jolly that you want to bust out the Michael Buble or Mariah Carey. Any of the six songs off of Ariana’s small Christmas and Chill album would be good picks to relax and put a little holiday spirit in you, but I find myself coming back to this song the most. If you’re an Ari stan, Christmas Kisses is also a nice album to check out! I could listen to “Snow in California” all day long.
2. “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson
Courtesy of RCA
Unlike Ari’s quiet “December”, this Kelly Clarkson song is full-on, intense holiday cheer from start to finish. Just listening to her powerful vocals and the sleigh bells ringing in the background makes me want to make some hot cocoa and to put up some lights around my dorm room. The saxophone solo and ringing bells makes you feel like you’re listening to some classic Christmas songs but with a fresh twist.
3. “Christmases When You Were Mine” by Taylor Swift
Courtesy of Big Machine Records
If you want to throw it back a little with your song choices, this 2007 gem off of Taylor’s Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection is a quality pick. It’s simp-y, bordering on country and pop with only Taylor’s twangy acoustic guitar and her breathy voice on the track. It’s great for making you nostalgic for past holiday seasons. Plus it makes me feel like I’m on a quiet car-ride and I’m looking out the window at the Christmas lights of a neighborhood.
4. “Santa’s Coming For Us” by Sia
Courtesy of Atlantic Records
Wow, so Sia’s Everyday is Christmas album is a gold mine for amazing and new Christmas originals. You could easily jam out to any one of the tracks, but this one is the most popular and my personal favorite. It’s so fun and bright that it makes you feel like you’re prancing around a colorful mall with your family getting gifts or like you’re a kid giddily jumping around the living room waiting for Santa Claus. It’s a great time and you should definitely give it a listen if you haven’t already!
5. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” by Alvin and the Chipmunks, David Seville
Courtesy of Liberty
Ok, so this is not a serious pop song per se. But no Christmas playlist would be complete without this in my humble opinion. When you want to take a break from all the holiday blues you get from listening to the sadder songs mentioned earlier, head on over to this musical masterpiece to get a sugary rush of Christmas fun.
Good playlist additions (that are actually cover songs) would be “Winter Wonderland / Here Comes Santa Claus” by Snoop Dog and Anna Kendrick–just the fact that they made a song together makes me laugh. “Hallelujah” by Pentatonix and all their Christmas songs give me chills. And “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith has his voice absolutely gorgeous. I hope you found a new song to add to your holiday playlist that’ll help you get through these last few weeks before Winter Break!