Christmas is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer Cher. It was released on October 20, 2023, through Warner Records. It is her first album featuring original material in ten years, following Closer to the Truth (2013). It was also her first Christmas album. A deluxe edition of the album was released on December 6, 2024 featuring six remixes of songs from the album.
Background
Cher first announced a plan to record a Christmas album in 2018.[1] However, no progress was made at this time, and she did not comment again on this album until hinting at its production in July 2023, when she announced that she was already working on material for it.[2] On Twitter, she shared that she never wanted to do a festive album but it came out "as good as any record" she has made.[3] In an interview with Good Morning Britain in September, Cher expressed her pride over the record, saying that it is "a Cher Christmas album. It's not your mother's Christmas album".[4] On September 7, Cher unveiled the album's artwork, accompanied by a caption asking the reader if they wanted to share Christmas with her. The cover depicts a simple shot of the singer surrounded by Christmas ornaments.[5] She is seen wearing a white shirt and bedazzled blue jeans.[6]Target exclusive versions of the album consists of 4 different colored versions of Cher's name.[7] An alternative cover with Cher in pink version of her outfit on the standard album and kicking a splash of water was released exclusively to Cher's official store,[8] while Amazon versions had another exclusive alternative cover with Cher in a silver bejeweled dress surrounded by water and icebergs.[9]
The project features guest appearances by Darlene Love, Michael Bublé, Tyga, Cyndi Lauper, and Stevie Wonder.[10] Cher shared her excitement over the fact that there are "millions of people" on it and that she never released an album with duets.[3] According to her, the decision to include guest artists was "last-minute".[11]
Four songs from the album are original works: "DJ Play a Christmas Song", "Angels in the Snow", "Drop Top Sleigh Ride", and "Christmas Ain't Christmas Without You".[12]
Singles
On October 6, 2023, Cher released "DJ Play a Christmas Song" as the lead single from the album.[13] "DJ Play a Christmas Song" debuted at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated December 30, 2023, becoming Cher's first entry on the Hot 100 since "Song for the Lonely" in May 2002.[14] On the week ending October 21, 2023, the song entered the US BillboardDance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart at number three, reaching the number one position six weeks later (on the week-ending December 2, 2023).[15] On the week ending November 18, 2023, the song entered the US BillboardAdult Contemporary chart at number 22, attaining the number one position three weeks later (on the week-ending December 9, 2023).[16] In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.[17] Alternative duet versions with Kelly Clarkson, Giovanni Zarrella and Belinda Peregrín were released in November 2024.[18]
In Canada, the album tracks "DJ Play a Christmas Song", "What Christmas Means to Me" with Stevie Wonder, "Run Rudolph Run", and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" with Darlene Love gained airplay, charting on the Canadian AC chart, peaking at numbers nine, four, twenty-one, and twenty-five respectively.[19] "DJ Play a Christmas Song" reached number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100.[20]
On December 6, 2024, Cher released the "Discotastique! Mix" version of "Angels in the Snow", as a promotional single for the deluxe version of the album, which was released digitally on the same day.[21]
Matt Collar of AllMusic rated the album three and a half out of five stars and stated that Cher’s Christmas puts her unique touch on a mix of original songs and holiday classics.[22] He highlighted tracks like the dance-oriented "DJ Play a Christmas Song" and the hip-hop-influenced "Drop Top Sleigh Ride," featuring Tyga, as standout moments.[22]
Bobby Patrick from BroadwayWorld rated Christmas 5 out of 5, praising the album as a must-have holiday collection.[23] He praised the collaborations with artists like Darlene Love, Michael Bublé, and Stevie Wonder, and commended Cher's enduring power and relevance in the music industry, calling the album a celebration of her timeless voice and energy.[23]
Connor Gotto from Retropop praised Cher’s collaborations, especially the "powerhouse duet" with Darlene Love on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and Stevie Wonder's joyful contribution to "What Christmas Means to Me".[24] While Gotto found the reworked "Home" with Michael Bublé a bit off-key, he lauded the album for its overall joy, calling it quintessentially Cher.[24]
Commercial performance
Christmas debuted at number 32 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Holiday Albums chart with 21,000 album-equivalent units, from which 20,000 comprised album sales.[26]Christmas was declared by Billboard the top-selling seasonal collection of 2023 by traditional album sales, with 133,000 copies sold in the US during the Nov. 4, 2023 through Jan. 6, 2024 period.[27]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 42 on the UK Albums Chart.[28] In the week of December 22, 2023, it rose to number 5.[29]
Track listing
All tracks produced by Mark Taylor; except "Drop Top Sleigh Ride" produced by Alexander Edwards, Ryan OG, and Mike Crook.
