Album Review: Sia's 'Everyday is Christmas' is the anti-holiday offering you need
I'm a sucker for the classics. So, when I heard Sia was releasing a holiday album, I was hoping it would be cover songs. Upon listening to Sia's Everyday Is Christmas, I'm glad it wasn't.
Now I've got ten new Christmas songs in my life and I love every one of them.
It's the age-old question that has plagued generations the world-over. When is it "too soon" to listen to Christmas music? I've personally always drawn the line at Thanksgiving, but this year I jumped the gun. And for good reason.
Sia has rewritten what it means to be a pop star. Her unapologetically flawed voice. Her artsy approach to music videos and performances. She's found unique ways to captivate audiences and create a musical-style all her own.
It comes as no surprise that her take on a Christmas album would be something unique. Sure, she hits on the familiar tropes; Santa Claus, candy canes, mistletoe and snowmen. Some songs are silly, some are solemn. But they're all very... Sia.
I'm partial to the serious songs; as a general rule and especially around the holidays. Give me Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" over Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" any day.
As I made my way through this album, I was immediately drawn to songs like "Snowman" and "Underneath the Christmas Lights." Or "Snowflake," in which Sia details the difficulty of letting a loved one go.
"Snowflake I got you tonight / Catch you and keep you on ice, my love / Snowflake you know you're the only one."
"There's no one like you, so I'm gonna hide you, my sweet / Keep you till Winter when you won't be needing me."
Heartbreaking stuff, especially with that famous voice-crack and the accompanying piano.
"If I were a betting man, I'd bet a million on you / There's no way around this, the only way now is through."
But if you don't enjoy balling your eyes out during the holiday season, there are plenty of fun offerings, as well. Good luck listening to "Candy Cane Lane" without humming the melody for the rest of the day.
"Candy Cane Lane, bring a friend this holiday / Bring a friend who loves to play, we'll eat all the candy canes."
That may not sound overly-meaningful but look me in the eye and tell me it's not the catchiest chorus you've heard this year. You can't.
Unless, of course, you prefer the chorus from "Santa's Coming for Us". Either way, The Disorderly award for 'hottest hook' is coming from this album.
"Singing to the deer in the sky / Singing as they jingle, jingle, jingle tonight / Singing to the moon, set it free / You're the angel on the top of my tree.
It's a bold move writing original Christmas music. Part of the appeal of the genre is familiarity. People enjoy the same rotation of songs because they spark memories and nostalgia. Yet somehow, Sia was able to create this feeling despite the newness of it all.
That's a remarkable accomplishment.
I highly recommend you work Everyday Is Christmas into your December playlists. It's a hit upon first-listen and it keeps getting better with every playback. Now all we need is a Maddie Ziegler music video for the title track and we can call it a wrap on 2017.
