Ah, Kelly Clarkson. She stole the show with American Idol, stole our hearts with Breakaway, and stole our praise with Stronger. No? Hyperbole aside, Kelly Clarkson has been around for a while, and there is no denying she’s got a hell of a voice. But as the name may suggest, Wrapped in Red is her first Christmas-themed album, and that’s always a dangerous body of water to tread into.
She packed some of the classics in there. We’ve got “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” and quite a dazzling “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” for which she paired up with the notable country crooner Ronnie Dunn.
But she also includes a couple kitschy tracks, like “My Favorite Things.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the tune from The Sound of Music as much as the next gal, but I think on a serious Christmas album, maybe Kel should have left the Von Trapp family favorite to the likes of Alanis Morissette—shall we refer to “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love…)”?
Now for the heart of the album: the Clarkson originals. The album’s eponymous tune “Wrapped in Red” has all the components of a good song. It’s mid-paced, has an easy chorus, and shows off Clarkson’s vocals. And yet, take out the phrase “this Christmas” and the shaking of jingle bells in the background, and this track essentially ends up sounding like any other Clarkson song.
“Wrapped in Red” is genuinely enjoyable, and Clarkson’s voice soars, but as far as Christmas originals go, I’d be willing to put money on households still playing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in ten years time.
Nonetheless, I’d still be happy to give the album a play on Christmas morning and even thoroughly enjoy her “White Christmas” as much as I have any other version of it. As far as Christmas albums go, there are worse, and at the end of the day, Clarkson sounds as great as ever. Perhaps the only real blasphemy of this album is that it’s being released the week of Halloween—and everyone knows you can’t start listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.
Voice’s Choices: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “White Christmas”
