Pop Talk: A Very GWAS Christmas Music Special

Pop Talk: A Very GWAS Christmas Music Special 

To add to the bloggy festivities kick-started this week with Sophie's Picasa-d GWAS banner (you didn't notice?!), self-nominated GWAS Christmas Cheer Champion Liz Burke lists the pick of celebrity Christmas offerings this silly season.

Not since 2001’s Christmas special smorgasbord, dishing up festive favourites from Destiny’s Child, Jimmy Eat World, Coldplay, Samantha Mumba, and even Pokemon, have pop lovers and Christmas fanatics been so spoilt for choice.

After enjoying a particularly cheerful year with a less-cringe-worthy-than-previous-efforts film release (followed by a minorly cringe-worthy award acceptance speech possibly fuelled by too much holiday eggnog), and a baby on the way with hubby Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey's decided to share some of her good fortune with a follow-up holiday album to her 1994 chart-topper Merry Christmas.

While we imagine the naming process of Merry Christmas II You, an appropriately sequel-indicative play on words, was considered less a stroke of alphanumerical genius and more “It’s been 16 years and the first one went five times platinum, what have we got to lose?”, judging from the track listing, it’s sure to be a cracker. Hold onto your reindeer.

Also jumping on the Christmas special bandwagon (or sleigh) is pop-star/reality-TV victim/country singer/big screen actor/designer, Jessica Simpson, with her second holiday album, which may be the soundtrack to her reported holiday nuptials to NFL star player Eric Johnson (will she ride down the aisle in a sleigh wearing full pom-pommed Mrs Claus themed bridal regalia? We can only hope.).

Released in 2004, originally as a 7-Eleven exclusive EP, corner store patrons must have deemed Rejoyce: The Christmas Album a serious Slurpee-rivaller as demand caused the seven-track special to be developed into a fuller album, becoming her best seller since 2003’s In This Skin.

Festive collaborations, including a track with country legend Willie Nelson, indicate a classy retaliation to the Eminem track mocking Simpson that’s currently gracing airwaves, and according to Twitter, the album has the tick of approval from brother-in-law punk rocker Pete Wentz, and Simpsons’ nephew Bronx. Following her greatest hits album, which apparently came out last month (anyone?), Jessica Simpson’s Happy Christmas is slated to be released November 22. Woo-Whoville-hoo!

Still riding out her Britain’s Got Talent success, Susan Boyle’s The Gift will surely be a more traditional approach to the Celebrity Christmas CD. The album features a "Do You Hear What I Hear?" duet with 33-year-old New York paramedic Amber Stassi who earned her place on the playlist alongside the Scottish songbird as one of thousands of applicants who uploaded a YouTube video of themselves singing "Silent Night" in a competition entitled Susan’s Search. Talk about seasonal goodwill!

Media-omnipresent Eurythmic pop icon Annie Lennox brings us A Christmas Cornucopia. While the album is mainly a collection of Lennox’s interpretations of traditional festive ditties like "The First Noel", new composition "Universal Child" was granted early online release in mid-October and has since earned a place on my iPod’s playlist of shame.

And, of course, the Glee cast will be releasing a collection of Christmas covers in time for December 25th. Glee: The Christmas Album features both traditional style songs like "Jingle Bells", and modern pop favourites like Wham!’s "Last Christmas". Fingers are crossed for an accompanying episode.

That's a (Christmas) wrap, folks. Have your uploaded iTunes tracks at the ready; things are about to get a ho-ho-whole lot festive around here.

Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel