Has there ever been that moment in your life when you realized that one pop artist has a holiday album from when they were 17? Making a Christmas album requires balancing traditional holiday songs with original ones and maintaining your signature sound. Sadly, some of these artists did not meet those standards, while others even exceeded them. 

Merry Christmas (Mariah Carey) – 10/10

If we’re talking about iconic Christmas albums, there is no way that I couldn’t include this one. This album is a perfect blend of classic and original songs, all executed perfectly. Carey’s powerful vocals and cheerful background music provide the energy all Christmas albums need, without sacrificing that signature Mariah Carey sound that has endeared people for years. “All I want for Christmas Is You” could single-handedly save any album, although in this instance, it just adds to the album’s value. Plus, Carey’s iconic “It’s Tiiiiime!” has marked the start of the holiday season for years. In short, this album sets the bar for every other album. 

The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (Taylor Swift) – 3/10

I’m convinced that even the most die-hard Swifties can’t defend this EP. Consisting of six songs (two original and four covers), this corny and manufactured collection simply does not bring the holiday spirit. Let’s start with Swift’s takes on traditional songs. Something about hearing her 17-year-old fake country accent sing “Santa Baby” does not sit well with me, and I can’t help but cringe at the end of “Silent Night” at her belting ‘Hallelujah’ with a chorus of voices in the background. With regard to the songs she wrote herself, they are unimpressive at best. “Christmases When You Were Mine”, for example, is a lazily veiled breakup song that has no true relation to the holiday season. In all, this EP just seems like a money grab to ride off the success of her first album, Taylor Swift.

Under the Mistletoe (Justin Bieber) – 8/10

This is most certainly one of the most interesting Christmas albums I’ve ever listened to. Created when he was only 17 years old, this album might just be the best example of the phrase “It’s so bad it’s good.” My personal favorite on the album has to be his rendition of “Drummer Boy”, featuring Busta Rhymes. However random that collaboration is, I’m grateful for it. This song is nothing short of iconic, with some of the most creative rhymes I’ve heard. (“Sippin’ Eggnog with a little sprinkle of vanilla/Even though it’s kind of cold, I’m pullin’ out a chinchilla.”).All in all, this album gives us a fun listen that encapsulates the holiday spirit. 

Fruitcake (Sabrina Carpenter)- 6.5/10

This commonly overlooked holiday EP is made up of five original songs and a creative rendition of “White Christmas”. Listening to it fully for the first time, I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t. On one hand, this whole album screams Sabrina Carpenter. Every song has a bit of the humor, wit, and vocals that she is known for. I have listened to too many albums where the artist succumbs to the same Christmas cheesiness in a way that feels inauthentic, but Fruitcake is far from that. On the other hand, there is the simple fact that I don’t feel any Christmas spirit when I listen to this album. There is truly only one original song that makes me feel excited for the holiday season: “buy me presents”. One of her songs, “is it new years yet?”, even expresses straight detest for the celebration, in which the opening line is “I’m sick and tired of this holiday.” Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to listen to a Christmas EP where the artist is actively hating on Christmas. 

Holiday albums made by pop artists are certainly a very interesting genre of music, with variety in quality and entertainment that I tried to encapsulate in the five albums above. All in all, I would hope that these ratings influence you to go listen to some Mariah Carey or Justin Bieber (seriously, listen to Under the Mistletoe), or at least help you to know which albums not to listen to. •