We hope you’ve been good boys and girls this year, because three country artists have announced upcoming holiday albums that will make the perfect stocking stuffers. Here’s what you need to know about the new Christmas albums from Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Terri Clark, Maddie & Tae, and Runaway June.
Carrie Underwood
Album: My Gift
Release Date: Sept. 25
What You Need to Know: The holiday offering will feature a combination of beloved traditional favorites and original material that celebrate Carrie’s faith and the spiritual nature of Christmas. My Gift was produced by Greg Wells and mixed by Serban Ghenea. The album features a world-class orchestra led by conductor David Campbell.
What Carrie Says: “It’s really hard naming a Christmas album I tried to think about the songs that are in it, so I started thinking about individual songs and one of my favorites is ‘Little Drummer Boy’ . . . I love music. I love singing. That is my personal gift that I have that I get to do, that I’m so blessed to do, and I want to use that gift and I want to give it back to Jesus. That’s kind of why I landed on My Gift as an album title.”
Track Listing:
- “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
- “O Come All Ye Faithful”
- “Let There Be Peace”
- “Little Drummer Boy” feat. Isaiah Fisher
- “Sweet Baby Jesus”
- “Hallelujah” with John Legend
- “O Holy Night”
- “Mary, Did You Know?”
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
- “Away in a Manger”
- “Silent Night”
Terri Clark
Album: It’s Christmas…Cheers!
Release Date: Sept. 25
What You Need to Know: Produced by Terri, the 10-song collection includes a host of holiday standards. A number of guest artists are featured on the project, including Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis, Suzy Bogguss and The Time Jumpers.
What Terri Says: “I resisted making and releasing a Christmas album for many years, even though I’m a big Christmas person and love the music of the season. It’s been done by the best in so many amazing ways and I wanted to wait until I felt I could make it special, be excited about it, and do it justice in my own way. Having The Time Jumpers to collaborate with and the wonderful guest artists featured—it did just that. I am eager for everyone to hear the record that was almost two years in the making but took 25 years to get around to.”
Track Listing:
- “Winter Wonderland”
- “Jingle Bells”
- “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)”
- “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
- “Cowboy Christmas” feat. Ricky Skaggs
- “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” with Dierks Bentley
- “Silent Night” feat. Vince Gill
- “Up On The Housetop”
- “Silver Bells” feat. The Oak Ridge Boys
- “Away In A Manager” with Pam Tillis & Suzy Bogguss
Dolly Parton
Album: A Holly Dolly Christmas
Release Date: Oct. 2
What You Need to Know: The 12-song collection features several holiday standards, as well as six original tunes that Dolly penned. The album also features duets with some of Dolly’s friends, including Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Willie Nelson, plus a special song with her brother, Randy Parton. The new release will be Dolly’s first holiday album since 1990’s Home for Christmas.
What Dolly Says: “I figured since everybody probably wouldn’t get to celebrate Christmas as usual this year, I wanted to be creative instead of sitting around at the house this summer. So I put on my mask, gloves and practiced social distancing, as well as all of the wonderful musicians and singers, and we proceeded to put together what I think is some of the best work that I’ve ever done. Kent Wells produced the album. As you know, Kent has been my friend, band leader and producer for many years. He’s outdone himself on this one. I’m just hoping that you’re gonna love it as much as we loved putting it together.”
Track Listing:
- “Holly Jolly Christmas”
- “Christmas Is” feat. Miley Cyrus
- “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas” with Michael Bublé
- “Christmas On The Square”
- “Circle Of Love”
- “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with Jimmy Fallon
- “Comin’ Home For Christmas”
- “Christmas Where We Are” feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
- “Pretty Paper” with Willie Nelson
- “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
- “You Are My Christmas” feat. Randy Parton
- “Mary, Did You Know?”
Maddie & Tae
Album: We Need Christmas
Release Date: Oct. 23
What You Need to Know: The six-song project includes two original tunes, “Merry Married Christmas” and the title track, as well as four holiday standards: “This Christmas,” “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
What Maddie & Tae Say: “We are so proud of this project and loved recreating some of our favorite Christmas classics, as well as write some of our own. Making We Need Christmas was such a bright spot for us this year and we hope this project brings a little joy and peace to our fans during this difficult year.”
Track Listing:
- “This Christmas” (Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor)
- “Holly Jolly Christmas” (Johnny Marks)
- “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Traditional)
- “Merry Married Christmas” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Josh Kerr)
- “Christmas” (Baby Please Come Home) (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector)
- “We Need Christmas” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Matthew West, AJ Pruis)
Runaway June
Album: When I Think About Christmas
Release Date: Oct. 16
What You Need to Know: The five-song EP features three holiday standards, “Sleigh Ride,” “O Holy Night” and “Let It Snow,” as well as two original tunes, “Christmas on the Radio” and the title track.
What Runaway June Says: “Our new Christmas EP, When I Think About Christmas, has all of these beautiful mountain Appalachian sounds. So we put our own little spin on Christmas music, and we’ve got some fiddle, so why not.”
Track Listing:
- “Christmas on the Radio” (Sam Hollander, Martin Johnson)
- “Sleigh Ride” (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish)
- “O Holy Night” (traditional)
- “When I Think About Christmas” (Jennifer Wayne, Josh Matheny, Tiffany Goss)
- “Let It Snow” (Julie Styn, Sammy Cahn)
photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com
