The 2011 Pop Reviews Now Holiday Special Part 1: "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift"

Just a quick explanation of how I'm doing this year's Christmas posts. So, obviously this SM TOWN Christmas album is part 1, and for part 2 I'll be reviewing some of my favorite K-Pop Christmas offerings, both old and new. Rules and stuff will be discussed in part 2. But now, on to more important business.

It's been a good three years since any sort of SM Town release, the last being the half-SM Town Summer 2009 EP with Super Junior, SHINee and DBSK. If you remember correctly, we were told that the other half of SM Town, namely the girls, would be featured on the Christmas album. Well, clearly that didn't happen. But FINALLY, SM has decided to put something out in time for Christmas. Is it any good? Well, that's a pretty long story.

When news of this album first broke, I was ecstatic. Of course, SM Town isn't SM Town without a fail Yoochun English rap, a Jaejoong/Lina or Jaejoong/BoA duet, or some goofing around courtesy of Shindong and Eunhyuk's rap part, but I could do without that if it meant getting one song with everyone thrown in, acting happy in a fake-snow wonderland. Right? That was until I found out that not only was there no group song this year (WHAT KIND OF BLASPHEMY IS THIS?!), but the album would be 100% English. Let's just say that if Yoochun, who actually spent more than a few days in the US, manages to epicly screw up all his English parts, what more the others. And let's face it, there are only a handful of SM Town artists who can actually speak good English. I'm still thinking of whether or not BoA is in that handful.

And once again, my psychic powers did not fail. The English is horrible. I'm an English major(well, comparative literature, but I'm still under the English department), I know. But the bad English isn't really the big problem, it's the fact that it's in English.

Let me put it simply, the album is too Americanized. It's hardly K-Pop anymore. Say all you want to say about how K-Pop is just a rip-off of Western music, but you know, even if majority of the songs probably are, you can tell the difference between K-Pop and American pop. You know why I'm into K-Pop? It's because I'm so sick of US Pop, and here we are, back to the very sound I want to avoid.

The problem with it sounding too American is that one, obviously they're not American, but two, really now, what good, distinctively Christmassy POP songs have the Americans contributed to the standard Christmas repertoire? "All I Want For Christmas Is You"? Seriously now. "Last Christmas"? You have got to be kidding me. They're merely pop songs with Christmas lyrics about gifts and snow. There’s so much more to a Christmas song than that. This SM Town album sounds like a confused Rat Pack-turned-makeshift Christmas album, to be completely honest.

This album is massively confused. Massively. So either the song itself isn't K-Pop enough, or when they finally get the song choice right, they screw up the execution. My prime example? Jang Ri In's version of "Oh Holy Night", which is actually one of my favorite Christmas songs. The girl has a gorgeous voice, she really does, and what does she do? She murders the song. All those runs and those strange sounds she makes with her voice. No, just no. There's a reason why the Christina Aguilera Christmas album was a complete failure.

Yes, I'm very picky with Christmas songs, but that's only because my childhood was filled with some of the most gorgeous Christmas songs anyone will ever hear. I grew up not only listening to them, but singing them as well. I know my Christmas repertoire - everything from the classic Handel's "Messiah" to Filipino novelty Christmas songs where you make sounds out of combs and pieces of wax paper, to the most tear-jerking, yet most distinctly Filipino Christmas song you will ever hear, I've sung them all. So imagine going from all those, to a bunch of pop songs that don't even sound like Christmas. They are inferior not because they are pop songs, there are some gorgeous pop Christmas songs (DBSK's "Winter Rose" for heaven's sake!), they are inferior because they don't sound like Christmas, they don't serve their purpose.


You want me to tell you what Christmas sounds like? Christmas sounds like a cup of hot chocolate, rich and creamy and sweet, it sounds like a thick blanket wrapped around you, keeping you warm. It sounds like bells ringing in the distance and lights all over, it sounds like you're being surrounded with your family and friends and you're all happy. Christmas songs literally wrap you around in a nice, warm, hug, and refuse to let go. Christmas is such a simple feeling, but it overpowers everything else. Now regardless of how that gets translated into music, that's the standard framework of a Christmas song, and the minute you deviate from that even a bit, you lose the Christmas. All of it.

I don't care if you want to add electric guitars (like Aly&AJ's "Greatest Time of the Year"), go all-out with synths and loops and the works (surprisingly, JYP Nation's "This Christmas"), make everything epic and waltz-y (a-la DBSK's "Winter Rose"), keep it to a bare minimum (Josh Groban's "Thankful), or even make it kinda reggae-ish (like the brilliant Nota a cappella version of "The Little Drummer Boy", complete with a RAP PART), bottom line is that it has to leave people warm and fuzzy.

With the SM Town album, I felt nothing. Nada. Zilch. The entire album sounded like a pop album released any time BUT the holidays, it sounds so clean, too clean almost, and Christmas is not a cleaning contest on who can use the most sanitized production, it’s a contest of who can make the most emotional, goosebump-inducing song. No feeling whatsoever, they all sound like robots. Don't get me wrong, there are gorgeous songs on this album, namely BoA's "Distance", that song is stunning, but they're just not Christmas. Let me put this nicely, even T-Ara's "O My God", which I'm not even sure if it's a Christmas song, sounds more like Christmas than this entire album put together.

Unlike your usual pop song which lasts for a few months before becoming completely irrelevant, when you release a Christmas song, the standard shelf life is forever. Yes, forever. For the good ones, at least. My Christmas playlist this year includes pop Christmas songs that were released as early as 1998. 98 Degrees, BSB, that staple *NSYNC "O Holy Night" 5-part a cappella arrangement, Blue's "Gift", Aly&AJ, and even the DBSK Christmas EP - they're all still relevant. That's because Christmas never grows old, and people will always have a need for a Christmas repertoire. Which is why no one should be surprised that the most familiar "classical" pieces are in fact the Christmas offerings.

In simpler terms, "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift" is more novel than it is lasting. The arrangements are faddish, the over-all sound very current, but under those you have nothing that can transcend time and cement these songs as Christmas staples. In colloquial Filipino/Taglish, this album is a "one time big time", and does not have the lasting qualities of other, better, Christmas releases. And actually, some of the songs on this package sound more like they belong on the acts' respective albums, and not a CHRISTMAS-themed compilation.

Super Junior's "Santa U Are The One", excusing the horrid English on the chorus (Ear after ear? Seriously?), sounds like a pop song they just slapped some bells on, and some lyrics about happiness and Santa. That's it. It's SO Big Time Rush (but even BTR made a better Christmas song than SuJu)/One Direction ala-"What Makes You Beautiful". I mean it's an okay song, nice and happy and upbeat, and I'd probebly listen to it a lot if it were not for the "ear after ear", but that's all it will ever be, and that's not it's purpose. When I first heard this, I thought it sounded nothing like Christmas, as in nothing at all, but actually, after listening to the rest of the album, this is probably the song that's closest to getting what Christmas songs should be. But still not enough.

I hate the covers on this thing. I hate them. DBSK's "Sleigh Ride" is the biggest disappointment. Because seriously, we went from "Winter Rose" to this monstrosity. This is one of the rare instances that I will consent to a version in another language, because seriously, DBSK should've just done an English version of "Winter Rose". Now THAT is a song that can be milked for all it's worth, because it’s shelf life is literally forever. But no, they had to give DBSK a cheesy cover of "Sleigh Ride", that actually makes them sound sleazy, to be honest.

And really now, SHINee's "Last Christmas" has got to be one of the worst covers of one of the most cheesy, cheap Christmas songs ever released.

It was bad enough when Wham! did it, for heaven's sake. Then they SM-ify everything? Oh dear. The production is okay, and I kinda like the outer space-like synths, but you mix those with some of the most uninterested, boring and lazy vocals I've ever heard from SHINee and you have a disaster. I'm serious, they all sound bored out of their wits, which they probably were, and for once, I would've liked Jonghyun to go wild, because seriously, I fell asleep listening to this song, and not in the good way.

J-Min's cover of the John Lennon song "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)" is okay, nothing special, and the girl has a nice voice, but once again, it sounds so uninspired. And boring.

As far as "The First Noel" covers go, DBSK win by light years. So I thought that since SM was behind their cover, the Jang Ri In verson would be really good too. Boy was I wrong. I like some parts of the arrangement, like the simple piano part, those gorgeous strings, and the drums, but you know what it sounds like as a whole, including that oriental-sounding instrument? It sounds like an American's attempt to make something "oriental", like "Ninja Assassin" or whatever. And that really disturbs me, because Jang Ri In is CHINESE, and SME is a KOREAN company. I don't get it, and don't think I ever will. To top it all off, like I said earlier, the vocals totally ruined the song. Totally. Why do you have to put all those unnecessary runs and strange vocal techniques into a song that's supposed to be nice, and quiet and simple then it's supposed to explode, but in the really big and tasteful way. Then Ri In just does a Christina/Mariah on it.

BoA's "Distance" is gorgeous, it really is. I love it and I'll probably be looping this for the next few days, but it's still not Christmas enough. "Distance" actually reminds me a lot of a Stacie Orrico/Young CCM-type song, in terms of treatment. The harmonies, and even the instrumentation, sound like something straight off Stacie Orrico’s self-titled album. Which is very, very, VERY far from Christmas. And that bugs me. There's a difference between "gorgeous pop song" goosebumps and "Christmas song" goosebumps, and the goosebumps I got this time were the "gorgeous pop song" ones. Basically, the only part of the song that made it remotely Christmas is the lyrics, and that's a foul. Which is such a shame because BoA has had some really amazing, really Christmassy, releases over the years, and even if "Distance" does match up in terms of gorgeousness, it fails at being Christmas. When you talk of BoA Christmas songs, "On December 27th" is still, hands-down, the best of them all, not even "Meri Kuri" comes close.

SNSD’s “Diamond”, and I'm not sure if I've ever used this analogy, but it kinda sounds like something that would fit right in to the Christmas talent show set list on "Mean Girls", you know, when the slutty, popular girls trying to sing and dance at the same time in skimpy Santa outfits and high heels? Maybe not that drastic, but the chorus is EXACTLY like that. However, the middle 8, and that small bit before it (which I presume is Sunny's part) is gorgeous. Stunning, almost. And actually, it's probably the most Christmas I've heard on the entire album, but then we go back to the uninspired chorus. It's not as boring as the SHINee track, but even for SNSD they can do better.

f(x)'s “1,2,3” also sounds nothing like a Christmas song, bar those strings which were probably just thrown in last-minute. It actually sounds more like the theme song for a FRIENDS rip-off, like, really. It sounds like it belongs on a Disney chick-flick soundtrack (Kinda like that song that's on the "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" soundtrack, which, conveniently, is also called "1,2,3"), not an SM Town Christmas album.

While we're on the topic of songs that sound like they belong elsewhere, CSJH (DANA&SUNDAY)'s "Amazing" sounds more like a charity single ala-Destiny Child's "Stand Up For Love". Pretty far from Christmas, if you ask me. Not that I oppose to Christmas ballads, but again, there's a way to do it without completely missing the point. And it's not that I don't like the song either, I do, it's gorgeous and Dana and Sunday's voices are stunning and the middle 8 kills me every single time, then by the time that stunning piano line comes in just before everything explodes with the chorus behind I die again, but yet again, THIS IS NOT CHRISTMAS. Same goes for Kangta's "For The First Time", Kangta's voice is stunning, but this sounds more like a Disney animated fairytale song that plays just when the prince is about to kiss the princess/girl. It actually sounds like something straight out of Aladdin. Again, pretty far from Christmas, if you ask me.

TRAX's "Like A Dream" sounds like what I kind of expected TRAX to do, but it's too clean, like they sucked all the emotion out of the song and left it to rot. In terms of "band"-ish K-Pop Christmas offerings, actually Infinite's "Lately" takes the prize. I'm sorry, TRAX, but this song sounds more like those tracks you put behind a montage of tour videos and screaming crowds and bands going wild on stage. All in back and white. And in reality, those tracks are usually the cheesiest, filler of filler tracks.



And, of course, a special Christmassy wrap-up:
The most Christmassy song: Thankfully, "Santa U Are The One"
The great, but not Christmassy songs: "Distance", "1,2,3", "Amazing"
The worst song: "Last Christmas"

[Christmas 2010] Christmas Staples Done Right

So here we are, a few days 'till Christmas, and what do I have up my sleeve? A whole host of Christmas songs for every possible taste. I mean it this year - I've chosen a much wider range than usual, some I like, some I don't. Christmas festivities on PRN this year come in 2 parts - this first part is all about the carols, the staples everyone knows. The second part will focus on modern Christmas songs, the non-carols. Yayyyy!


I say this every year because it's true - just because the lyrics have "snow" or "santa" or "Christmas" in them, doesn't mean you can call it a Christmas song.

A Christmas song should make you feel all fuzzy inside, it should bring back memories, whatever they are, of Christmas, whenever you listen to it. If it's a contemporary Christmas song, you should get the same feeling you get when you hear carols, but at the same time hear familiar melodies and structures.

That's why this year, I'm listing down a few Christmas classics, and giving you guys an idea of which versions I like and don't like. Plus more songs to take note of, and some non-carols, but good Christmas songs nonetheless. ;D

O Come All Ye Faithful
This is my favorite Christmas song. Ever. EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR. Mainly because even if the melody is simple, there are an infinite number of things you can do and it will still sound good, it will still sound like Christmas. I like it so much, I can literally hear the perfect arrangement in my head. I have it all planned out, from how it starts, how there are gradual additions to each verse then suddenly the key changes and everything explodes. Very few versions have come kinda close, and a heck of a lot have miserably failed, so I'm still searching for that one arrangement that will blow. me. away.

Stacie Orrico (2001): Of the versions of that I've heard, this is the one I've blacklisted. Call me a purist or a biggot or whatever for not liking the Stacie Orrico-ized O Come All Ye Faithful, but I'm sorry. The rearrangement sounds more like a CCM song than a Christmas package, and the epic-ness of the song was lost - I don't care if they wanted to make it sound more contemporary, there's a way to do that and still make it sound like Christmas. This clearly does not. And all the stuff they added just made the song a big mess.


Katharine McPhee (2008): This version's fine, but I wish she would've toned down all the gymnastics. It's a beautiful song on it's own with a simple enough arrangement, no need to overreact and make it all squiggly. That and the part just before the end was just anticlimactic. This is supposed to be big, and majestic and all that - she does it pretty OK during the verses when her voice has that urgency to it, but towards the end it gets lost. Even if it's a so-called "R&B"/piano arrangement (with an orchestra-like set up towards the end), there's a way to do that. They didn't do it.


Josh Groban (2007): My only problem with his version is that it doesn't explode exactly like I'd want it to, but this one of the best versions I've found so far. The organ isn't to my taste either, but it does make it sound like a Church and in turn, like Christmas. I love the strings throughout the song, and the rest of the arrangement is really beautiful. For me the build-up was a little too sudden but it's epic-ness at the last verse is really the way I'd want it to be - majestic, huge and epic in every way possible. Using an orchestra. Just the way I want it.


Aled Jones and Libera (2008): And this, my friends, is how it is done. Not only does this guy have a gorgeous voice, Libera sound fantastic - boys really do have much brighter voices than girls, perfect for the obligato part. OH MY GOD THE OBLIGATO, someone slap me. The arrangement isn't that slow either - it has a snappiness to it. Me liking this version just shows how much of a purist I am, and proud of it. I like my Christmas songs orchestral, with a soloist and a choir and with gorgeous harmonies that resound. If this is ever turned into a more pop arrangement though, I'd trade the church organ for a sharp, and simple yet gorgeous, piano line. Other than that, everything stays as it is - ESPECIALLY THE LAST VERSE. Beautiful.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
I have a love-hate relationship with this song. If you do it right, I love it, but if you so much as screw one little detail up, I'll hate it. It can't be too fast, it can't be too sad, it can't be this and that. I have my favorite version already though, so I'm not in searching mode.

Carrie Underwood (2008): This was the version that made me adore the song - the arrangement has hints of country in it, but it feels like Christmas. Carrie sang it not only the right way with the right dynamics, but in the right key for her. That's what a lot of singers fail to get right when they sing carols in general - the key. You can't sing a song too high, nor too low - it not only has to match your voice, it has to sound comfortable to the listener's ears because they've heard a gazillion versions of songs like these. I like how the song was arranged so the last verse is somewhat like a middle 8. The instruments are very crisp to the ears - the drum line, piano line and other elements scattered around are defined, but not sharp or painful. The perfect pop arrangement, in my opinion.


Jump5 (2007): As a Jump5 song I like this - especially the start with all the pretty harmonies and all. The arrangement has kick, and the vocals are standard Jump 5 so I'm not surprised. However, as a Christmas song this is atrocious. It sounds nothing like Christmas, and it lacks life - the vocals lack dynamics. Yeah sure it has kick, but having kick doesn't mean a song has life. So it's a no.

Other Modernized Christmas Staples to take note of:

Taylor Swift - Silent Night
I do not understand how you can murder such a beautiful song and turn it into a completely different one, that doesn't even sound like Christmas. I'm open to change, but only if it's actually done well. It's like for this song, and all the others on Taylor's Christmas EP, all the life out of these gorgeous songs, everything that makes them the way they are, was sucked out. That's not Christmas music.

Mandisa - Angels We Have Heard On High
Now, this is one of the better arrangements that lean more towards to the pop side. The harmonies and the background vocals, as well as the way they tweaked the melody to fit the arrangement, although modern, still retain the "majesty" of the song, even if the arrangement isn't really epic. See? They knew which parts of the melody to play around with, but they knew which parts of the original song really had to stay.

Glee - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
It's a gorgeous arrangement, and I mean like epic in all ways possible, but I have one, rather big, problem that has kept this from going on my eternal favorites. It doesn't sound like Christmas, it sounds like an epic-ly arranged pop song. If you changed the lyrics into more "mainstream" lyrics, it would have no problem masquerading as a pop song.

*NSYNC - O Holy Night
Every self-respecting, acapella-based, talented boyband has sung this arrangement of O Holy Night, and yes, that includes DBSK. It's a timeless arrangement, really - each voice can very well stand alone with all the runs and the oohs, but together the arrangement soars. It's a boyband staple for all the right reasons, and it better continue to be one for a very long time.

DBSK - The First Noel
It's in Korean, so what? Would you rather they "bastardize" the song by singing in crooked English? Of course not. The arrangement is gorgeous - the string section sends chills down my spine, and all the other instruments are just floating along. The harmonies are beautiful, to say the least, and the execution has both grace and intensity - DBSK can obviously sing anything that's thrown at them. Changmin's solo is one of my favorites of his, ever, and Yoochun's part is perfect for him, simply put. What makes it even better is that during a time when all they did was lipsync, they performed this live. My ears are in heaven. It's one of the shorter cuts on their Christmas EP, but I personally think it's the best one - I listen to it once and all the Christmas memories start flooding in. THAT is what a Christmas song should bear - memories.

You know what I want to do in the future? Put together a post full of Filipino Christmas songs. This is not just because I'm Filipino - some of the most beautiful Christmas songs I have ever heard are Filipino. I spent a little over the first decade of my life singing these gorgeous songs during Christmas, and even if I absolutely hate performing, those songs were too beautiful to not enjoy singing. In time.

But anyway, catch part 2 within the next few days - I tackle some of my favorite modern Christmas songs.

This Year's Christmas Playlist

I've been as lazy has hell compared to my other blogger friends when it comes to Christmas-themed posts so I guess I'll just sum everything up into one convenient post with 10 songs. Sound good? Let's start.


Let's set the record straight on what Christmas songs are though before I start.

There are the carols - the songs everyone knows and everyone covers but few get right. Then there are the pop songs written for Christmas - the melodies are built around carols and sometimes even the arrangements are but most of the time they're given pop arrangements. Pop Christmas songs are not pop songs with Christmas-themed lyrics. I repeat, POP CHRISTMAS SONGS ARE NOT POP SONGS WITH CHRISTMAS-THEMED LYRICS. I hate it when that happens, the songs have to SOUND like Christmas whether it be the melody or the arrangement.

When it comes to my Christmas songs I'm very, VERY picky - I like my carols with classic arrangements and I like my festive pop festive, none of that experimental crap. However if the experimenting is done well, I don't have a problem - I just really hate it when people start murdering Christmas songs. And which is why I draw a line between pop and not pop if Christmas songs are the matter because I hate it when the two get improperly mixed together.

So here are 10 (commercial) Christmas songs that one, really sound like Christmas to me and two, are just brilliant songs/versions/arrangements.

1. Carrie Underwood - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
I like the song itself as a carol but I like this arrangement in particular - it's got to be one of my personal favorite arrangements of Hark!. The gorgeous piano part and the REAL drums really make a difference. And one of the main reasons why I chose this arrangement is because Carrie doesn't murder the song (unlike a certain Mariah Carey who murdered Oh Holy Night) and her vocals are just gorgeous. Heck, it sounds like Christmas through and through! Hands-down one of the best arrangements of the classic.

2. Britt Nicole - Last Christmas
I know you guys will kill me for saying this but I have to - Last Christmas is one of the cheesiest, corniest festive songs EVER, I can't stand it. So why include it at all? Because Britt Nicole has managed to find/make an arrangement that actually makes it sound somewhere near good. I like her vocals (always have), I like how they changed up the arrangement and made it a little more tasteful and it's got all the elements of a standard pop Christmas song so it passes.

3. DBSK - The First Noel
You must be saying "WHAT? DBSK has a CHRISTMAS album?" because I was too when I first found out. But before we get to their version, let's talk about the song first. The First Noel is personally one of my favorite carols EVER, beside a few other staples, so I won't just settle for a run-of-the-mill version with a super pop-y arrangement (I'm talking to you, *NSYNC.) - I want a damn good one. Then there's the fact that I like boybands doing Christmas songs. I do, a lot. I like the a capella lines and I like everything about them doing Christmas songs.

This arrangement of The First Noel has a gorgeous instrumental - the violins, the bells, everything is just beautiful. Although the Carrie Underwood arrangement is a close second, I'd have to go with the DBSK one. Then the vocals are spot-on, there's little screaming and the harmonies sound great if you listen to them as a whole but even better individually (although, I like the *NSYNC harmonies better, it's just that the arrangement is bleh). Gorgeous.

4. Varsity Fanclub - It's Christmas Again
I'd rather all these bands do what Varsity Fanclub has done than bastardize all these beautiful carols with crap-ly-executed pop arrangements and excessive vocals. There's a certain kind of song you can do that to but NOT and I repeat NOT to carols. Not only have they done that, they've managed to make it sound like Christmas - the bells and the melody are the main reasons. But I actually like the bells on this song in particular - they're especially Christmas-y. And the way they made it like a pop song without losing that festive thing is just brilliant. You can't listen to this any other time.

5. BoA - 12월 27일
Although on songs like this BoA's vocals tend to be annoying and she's not particularly my favorite singer, this song has sort of become my anthem this year. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous waltz (3/4 time signature - waltz.) with a string section and all but I love how it sounds like a Christmas song but doesn't sound like a Christmas song. There are times when the string section sounds like every other pop Christmas song but then suddenly out of nowhere it turns into something straight off The Corrs' repertoire - that's when I go like WHOA. The melody is a giveaway that it's Christmas and the lyrics (at least the ones I can understand) are even more obvious but I like how it's not in-your-face Christmas.

6. *NSYNC - O Holy Night
You can't have a Christmas post and leave out this song, you simply can't. This a capella arrangement has been used by a ton of other boybands after *NSYNC (including my beloved DBSK when they debuted) and so I think this version deserves a mention. A lot of their other Christmas arrangements are too pop-ized for my taste - this is probably the one that sounds the most festive of them all. The harmonies are beautiful and I mean STUNNING, if there's one thing these guys know how to do it's make the best harmonies. Throughout the song the harmonies are not only gorgeous but really well-executed - they're very tight and it sounds brilliant.

7. SM Town 2006 - Snow Dream
There was a time earlier this month when I couldn't get enough of this song - it's catchy, it's pop and heck, it sounds like Christmas. It may be in Korean and it may sound like an American pop Christmas song but isn't that the point? The bells, the arrangement and the vocals - they threw all the best SM vocalists into one gigantic pot, mixed it together and gave the crap singers like 5 seconds singing time. My ears are in heaven.

And this kinda also reflects what kpop is - you can't not have a rap part, it's criminal. LOL. But really, this is what the genre is and has been for quite a while now so to put it in a Christmas song is pretty ingenious.

8. Libera - O Come All Ye Faithful
Choral music is MY turf, my grandmother formed one of the most influential children's choirs in the country, so when it comes to choirs I know my stuff - sometimes even better than I know pop. But that also means that my standards are much, MUCH higher. O Come All Ye Faithful also happens to be probably by favorite carol - I love how epic the song can get but only if you want it to be.

Libera are to a certain extent commercial but they're to a certain extent not commercial - they're pretty good either way. I've heard better choirs than them but they're a little more well-known so why not.

In choral music less instruments is more - vocals have to take center stage. To a certain extent that's good because then you don't have to worry about the instrumentals not sounding like Christmas, just use a simple piano arrangement and it'll sound great. That is if the choirs is good. I like their harmonies at the end and I like how the vocals are very light - usually if a choir's to sing this song they'll just explode and keep pushing at the end. Solid effort.

9. Aly & AJ - Greatest Time of the Year
There are your usual pop festive songs and then there are Disney festive songs - about 60% of the Disney festive songs scream CHRISTMAS and this is one of them. How this can sound like both a festive song and an advertisement is beyond me. But then again a lot of festive ad campaigns have unmistakably Christmas-y songs so they work.

The instrumental complements the melody and the bells very well, surprisingly. And it's not like other supposedly pop/rock Christmas songs that sound more pop/rock - it is what it is and it's a Christmas song. It ends great though - the middle 8, the break-down and the explosion at the last chorus is brilliant.

10. Girls Aloud - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
Girls Aloud do Christmas. Yay. The now classic Christmas EP boasts of some really great pop masterpieces and some of them really do sound apt for the season but this one on particular gets me every time. It's truly Girls Aloud do Christmas - it sounds like Girls Aloud and it sounds like Christmas. I think the vocals are a little iff-y and lack emotion (don't clobber me!), could be better, but the instrumental is brilliant - it's exactly how I imagined a GA song mixed with a carol to be like.

The perfect pop Christmas song: 1. Bells

You can't go wrong with bells. Christmas = Church = Bells. If you take history as an example, we were told that when the Spanish took over the Philippines they used religion - you're identified to a city if you can hear the church bells from your house. Thus, Christmas = Bells. In a good Christmas song you have to have bells somewhere in between all the other things and it has to be heard. Why? Because bells are one of the few things that one, sound like Christmas and two, you can actually put into a song because different bells make different notes and different sounds.

No matter how much pop elements you have in a song - computerized drums, generic beats, guitars and PROCESSING, you cannot have a Christmas song without the bells. A Christmas song without bells is like an acoustic-y song without a guitar part - wherever you are in the world, it just doesn't happen and no one over thinks of a song without it. Bells are one of the main reasons why Christmas songs are Christmas songs! Heck, you can put some bells into any random song and it would most probably sound a little like the season.

Here's exactly how you turn a song Christmas-y by simply adding bells. The chords and melody are identical and the arrangement is pretty much the same - the only different are the lyrics and the fact that one is for Christmas and one isn't but they're not basic musical elements so yeah.

The bells are heard the most during the chorus of the 2nd song and that's the main, MAIN thing that actually makes it Christmas-y.

The original song

(not very Christmas-y but I don't know why one of the dancers has a Santa hat on. Whatever - it sounds less Christmas-y than the second video):

The Christmas-ized song:

What makes the perfect pop Christmas song????

It's almost December. December means Christmas in most parts of the world - time to cash in on the holiday. Or not.

Last year I just put a bunch of random Christmas songs together and called it my playlist for that year. This year I'm older with a lot more brains to think of what to do, I think. What has this mind of mine come up with?

The elements of a perfect pop Christmas song.

Every year pop acts make special Christmas EPs and/or albums just to cash in on the season but what's in all of them and why do they sound like Christmas even if they're a bunch of studio-produced tracks? It can't be just how it 'feels', there have to be at least a few elements that make it what it is. That's what I tried to find out and I think I did a pretty good job.

The vocal commentary special will be put on hold until January next year - I'm doing WAY too much to even think of sitting down for an entire afternoon and just watching videos, listening to tracks and writing ONE post. So that'll have to wait but I promise I'll finish it. Hahah. So over the next few days starting tomorrow, in short until December comes along and I have to start counting down the best songs of the year, I'll be enumerating what I think makes the perfect pop Christmas song. Hahah.

last LAST minute Christmas suggestions!

It's Christmas Eve, I can't believe Christmas is tomorrow! haha. This is probably for everyone, and if you loved the other two Christmas posts, then you'll love this one!

• I completely forgot the Jesse McCartney Christmas songs from the deluxe edition of Right Where You Want Me! I love these Jesse-fied Holiday stuff that don't really sound like Christmas! One Way or Another for me sounds too much like a pop/love song and there's not enough Christmassy elements put in. I love the melody though and the lyrics are very, very Christmas! His version of Winter Wonderland is very, Jesse, I must say but what makes this song equal to One Way or Another is the fact that it really sounds and feels like Christmas!
• There's actually a Spice Girls Christmas song called Christmas Wrapping, it's very Spice Girls, especially at the start but it doesn't feel a lot like Christmas. The melody's OK and the trumpets are cool though.
• Teddy Geiger's version of All I Want For Christmas Is You is strange yet I kinda like it for some strange reason. Doesn't sound a lot like Christmas though.
• Play's Play Around the Christmas Tree is nothing special for me, but it's got its highs and lows. Recommended if you like the Jump5 and PureNRG Christmas albums.
• Elliot Yamin's got a Christmas album as well. I haven't heard it but judging by his voice, I think it's definitely something worth our time!
• 3LW as a two-piece released Naughty or Nice, their Holiday album and I've heard one song from it and it sounds too R&B-ish and not Christmassy enough. Still, if you like R&B, give it a listen.
• Speaking of R&B-fied Christmas songs, I kinda like Destiny's Child's The 8 Days of Christmas, it's well-done Christmas-fied R&B, better than 3LW I think.
• I kinda like Hilary Duff's Santa Claus Lane as well, it's very Disney Christmas, mainly because she is Disney and the song and the rest of the album is Christmas. It's very pre-Aly & AJ as well, with a little more guitars and better vocals, it could easily be a song for the duo.
• For some strange reason, I'm liking JLS' version of Last Christmas. It's nice, but I'm not really a big fan of the song. I love how they go from slow to mid-tempo with the song though. Louis really has to put in some kind of ballad-ish twist(see: Westlife's performance of Uptown Girl at the 2001/2000 BRIT Awards)
• Varsity Fanclub have a Christmas thing as well called It's Christmas Again and I'M LOVING IT! Once again, it's a well done Christmassy R&B masterpiece. It's very R&B but those bells make it soooo Christmassy, sounds like something straight out of a Christmas movie!

That's it! Merry Christmas everyone! haha..

TWELVE last-minute pop-y suggestions to get the Christmas spirit out and about!

Three days 'till Christmas! With my family this is usually the time when we all freak out because we're gonna have family pictures taken the day before Christmas eve(which is tomorrow!) and we're running the dawn watch service at church tomorrow so I gotta be up at 4 in the morning! For you guys however who aren't completely into the season yet even at this late a stage, here are twelve last minute suggestions to get you buying tons of presents and putting your tree up for everyone to see!

(something like the 12 Days of Christmas, although I never intended it to be like that!)

Note: This will be full of the words Christmas, Christmassy, Holiday and related terms so be wary! haha..

• Did you know that NLT made a version of Silent Night? They're actually quite good with a capella work, the start was fantastic! After the first round though, it turns into this really cool R&B thing. Sounds a lot like something NSYNC would do if they were still around..
• Remember Mandisa from American Idol? Even if she was unrightfully eliminated, she released a studio album AND a Christmas album more importantly! Haven't heard it yet, but I think it'll be really good judging by the fact that her voice is AMAZING.
• I completely forgot Aly & AJ's holiday album! I cannot believe I did! I absolutely adore the whole thing, but Greatest Time Of The Year is firmly planted in my mind at the moment, it's so Christmassy but still so Aly & AJ-y! The rest of the album is a masterpiece, it sounds so Christmas!!!
• For you Westlife fans, let's recap some of the lads' Christmas performances. Remember the Vatican 2001 performance of Little Drummer Boy and imagine Mark singing Dolores' part, just for fun! Read the autobiography? You know the story, but hey, weren't the guys adorable? haha. How about this performance, remember? OK enough of Westlife, the rest of you might be suffering by now.
• Christina Aguilera's festive offering's quite good as well. If you like Christina's first album or you like so hear your favorite songs Christina-fied, you might actually like this. Her version Angels We Have Heard on High is one of the best tracks for me.
• I don't know if it's a Christmas song but Shayne Ward's Melt the Snow suggests that it's got something to do with the season, with snow and all. I LOVE the song though, Christmas or not Christmas..
• I love a particular Chris Brown holiday song, This Christmas. His voice is gorgeous, and I love the melody! Feels a lot like Christmas as well. I love that shift from piano only to full-instrumental, it's cool! Very Christmassy.
• For those of you who love big hits, get Josh Groban's Noel. It was number one in the US last year for like forever and it's sold a heck of a lot but it's actually full of amazing songs! Thankful's got to be the most amazing song on the album.
• I adore Raven's voice, pure and utter brilliance! She recorded The Christmas Song and although I think the song has gotten a bit too overrated, she made an amazing version!
• Another young girl with an ultra-amazing voice, Bianca Ryan! She has a Christmas EP as well and I must say, IT'S AMAZING! Listen to every track, they're all worth at least one! haha.
• Just in case you missed them, some amazing already featured Christmas EP/albums for you to divulge in! Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride Christmas EP, NSYNC's Home For Christmas and the Girls Aloud Chemistry Christmas EP are all worth your time!
• Finally, for those of you who are too lazy to scour the internet and your local record stores for all the albums here, I have one suggestion, Disney Channel Holiday! It's full of cool pop-y Christmas songs by different Disney acts and in different genres so for you guys who don't feel really relieved when you've finally found that ultra hard to find song/album you've been looking for forever, then get this! haha. It's actually quite good! Standout tracks are the ones by Jordan Pruitt, Keke Palmer, Corbin Bleu and the Cheetah Girls!

That's it! I hope it helped and Merry Christmas everyone! haha.. If that wasn't enough, read over the Christmas playlist I made a week ago and download it at the end! OK? OK.

Also, don't forget to catch my end of year countdown! We're already at number 21!

My Christmas Playlist!

I can't believe Christmas is in TWELVE days! To help you get into the festive season even more, here are some of my favorite pop-ified Christmas songs!

• Carrie Underwood's Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is an amazing song, and it reminds me of Christmas Eve, when we go to church with the whole family and eat and eat and eat! I don't know why, though.
• Blue's Gift is exactly how I imaged a Blue Christmas song to be, R&B. I don't know if it's really a Christmas song, but it sure seems like it! Melodically it's amazing, though it doesn't really feel as Christmassy as the others.
• I've always found Last Christmas to be really cheesy and all, but Britt Nicole's version completely changes that. It's rock-y in her usual style but for some strange reason, it still feels even a bit like Christmas to me. That plus the fact that her vocals are on top condition here!
• Boybands are known for their acapella work(Westlife and Boyz II Men especially..), so it's no surprise that *NSYNC would have an acapella Christmas song. Their version of O Holy Night really, REALLY feels Christmassy, I LOVE it!
• The first time I heard Merry Christmas Everybody sang was during the Popworld Christmas special with Westlife. A few weeks later, I heard the Girls Aloud version, and it caught my ear. It sounds like something that would be playing in a mall, and it gets me nostalgic, since malls are packed during December and I'm frantically looking for gifts.
• I keep on hearing 98°'s This Gift in malls and stores this year for some strange reason. The song's beautiful though, the melody and what seems to be a harmony during the chorus just feels like Christmas to me.
• Yes, Westlife did a version of White Christmas. Don't blame them, they'd just finished their rat-pack album and it seems like it rubbed off on them. Correct me if I'm wrong but this was the b-side to When You Tell Me That You Love Me. Actually, I don't think Westlife's the correct artist for this, it's got to be Shane Filan. Seriously, he's the only one singing! Still, this has got to be the song that feels like Christmas the most, if I was to choose(biases aside.)
• Last year, Josh Groban's Christmas album Noel was a gigantic hit and with that, I found probably the best original(within the 2000's) pop Christmas song, Thankful. The melody's gorgeous, and his voice is in top shape.
• Keke Palmer has a gorgeous voice for what she usually sings, but I never knew she'd have a gorgeous voice for Christmas songs as well! Home For The Holidays was on Disney Channel Holiday, and the way the R&B-ness of Keke was mixed with the holiday elements was pure genius. It's catchy yet it showcases her voice. Brilliant!
• Lastly, a song from Jordan Pruitt. Also from Disney Channel Holiday, Santa Don't Stop is a very fun song that's consistent with Jordan's musical direction yet it's clearly a Christmas song.

As a sort of 'gift' to you guys(corny, much?), I've put up a download link to the playlist! It'll be up for 2 DAYS only. Enjoy!

My Christmas Playlist!