They also throw in a few more recognizable tunes like the Tex-Mex rocker “It’s Christmas Time in Texas,” the comical 1950s novelty hit “❽ónde Está Santa Claus?” and the José Feliciano standard “Feliz Navidad.” The musicians manage to hit all the traditional themes - from the birth of Jesus to decorating the tree in “La Rama” to the sadness of being alone during the holidays in “Amarga Navidad.”Īll the while, they move effortlessly from traditional Mexican instruments to electric guitars as their vocals vary from Spanish to English. The result is “Llegó Navidad” - Spanish for “Christmas is Here” - a collection of traditional mariachi, salsa and son jarocho songs infused with a dose of rock ‘n’ roll to create a holiday recording pretty much like no other. Mark Kennedy (/KennedyTwits)Ĭhicano rock pioneers Los Lobos waited 47 years to record their first Christmas album and, perhaps not surprisingly, the work takes the veteran group back to its beginnings, the years when members grew up fusing rock ‘n’ roll with sounds they heard echoing from backyard gatherings in largely Latino East Los Angeles. But stick around for her sublime “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night” and a knockout duet with Cynthia Erivo on “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Michele has delivered a modern treasure. One rare stumble is her cover of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from “Frozen” that seems too lounge-y. Darren Criss stops by for a lovely “White Christmas” and Jonathan Groff for a twangy “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Michele doesn’t mess with the classics, she just perfects them, blessed with a crystal-clear voice and slathering them with a childlike, sugary joy. That changes this year with the 11-track “Christmas in the City,” which is exactly what you’d expect when the former “Glee” star tackles holiday classics - graceful, tasteful and lushly produced (by “Glee” songwriters/producers Adam Anders and Peer Astrom.) Alongside “Silver Bells” and “Silent Night,” Michele even offers a new one she co-wrote, “Christmas in New York,” where she sings that “from Harlem to the Battery/Every corner’s bustling.” It might be hard to believe, but Lea Michele has never put out a Christmas album. Lea Michele, ‘Christmas in New York’ (Sony Masterworks) “Another Kind of Christmas” packs a couple holiday gems, and it’s just the kind of Christmas gift Ne-Yo fans deserve.
And then there’s “Talk About It,” where Ne-Yo paints a spirited picture of holidays at home, complete with aunties in the kitchen, mama’s spiked eggnog and squabbles that get squashed just in time for dinner.
Naughty jam “Open Mine Tonight” - about a little Christmas night nooky - is another standout. Ne-Yo also introduces his own original holiday tunes, including the fun reggae-influenced “Christmas Vibez” featuring Satori and Dre Island. He combines beautiful harmonies with a bit of beatboxing on “The Christmas Song ” plays his own backup on a slightly slowed down and swagged up version of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas ” and he is moving on his cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want to Come Home for Christmas” - a song delivered from the perspective of a prisoner of war. The set includes a handful of yuletide classics, which Ne-Yo manages to modernize, without messing up. For that reason, the singer’s latest release, “Another Kind of Christmas,” comes as no surprise, though it is a bit of a shocker that this is Ne-Yo’s first Christmas album.
#MEDITERRANEAN CHRISTMAS JOSH ROUSE LYRICS PLUS#
When it comes to holiday albums, Ne-Yo’s got two great things going for himself: a beautiful voice, plus a merry and bright charisma that makes him a shoe-in for anybody’s holiday TV special.
Ne-Yo, ‘Another Kind of Christmas’ (Motown/Compound Entertainment)
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