Kelly Clarkson, Ben Folds, John Waters and others

The music industry, according to New York Times“hopes Halloween can be the new Christmas”: Turn October into spooky sales season for the entire month, just like he made seasonal sales just after November 1st. Mark Hogan writes: “Fueled by streaming, Halloween could be a way for artists who delve into darker themes—think Ethel Kane, Travis Scott, Rob Zombie—to tap into the zeitgeist before they’re drowned out by the bells.”

We want you to know that we have been there from the very beginning. There’s no better way to pay homage to the fears of Halloween than by dwelling on the next season’s excesses that the music industry foists on the public each year well before All Hallows’ Day. So here are some of this year’s musical offerings for everyone celebrating.

Kelly Clarkson – “You’re for Christmas”

Clarkson ranks second to Mariah Carey as the modern master of healthy Christmas ceremonies. She was also a long-time, gravelly-voiced translator for Motown, so it’s no surprise that “Under the treeClarkson’s 2013 holiday tune owes much of its staying power to a familiar little bauble from a Motown tune: The Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself.”

When you’re an artist who records a lot of Christmas songs, like Clarkson, you often find yourself in a holiday arms race, with each song getting bigger and bigger. On “You For Christmas,” Clarkson throws Mark Ronson into the mix, and Ronson does what Ronson does: turns the arrangement into a lush, exaggerated package of every possible Motown highlight. The lyrics reflect the classic holiday theme you know and probably love: “All I want for Christmas is you.” There are two variations on this matter. “All I want for Christmas is you and that makes me feel festive!” This is another variation: “All I want for Christmas is you, and that makes me sad (but still festive).”

See also: Jennifer Hudson Gift of love

Vince Gill and Amy Grant – “When I Think of Christmas”

Vince and Amy have an even longer history in the Christmas music industry; If your holiday nostalgia dates back to the 80s and 90s, this song might speak directly to you. “When I Think Of Christmas,” from their first Christmas record together, is a cover of a song by a contemporary Christian artist. Matt Maher. An orchestral giant, Maher’s song could be described as “epic” if you’re of a charitable nature, and “almost parodic” if you’re not. Jill and Grant relax a lot; their approach is a deep throwback to the ’90s, right down to one shooting star glissando effect. And it must be said – sorry Maher fans – that Grant’s voice is much more iconic than his own.

See also: Rod Stewart Merry Christmas baby (reissue)

Orville Peck – “Happy Trails”

This title understood the mission better than any other mission had ever been understood. Beyond that, this one holiday song sounds simple: a love song to a man, with an arpeggiated guitar line referencing the aforementioned “Hallelujah,” an old-fashioned choral bridge, and the obligatory jingle bells. “Happy Trails” seems a foregone conclusion for two reasons. First: the title. Second, Peck is exactly the kind of artist you’d expect to make a celebratory song at this point in his career. Third: The track evokes a surprising discovery: Peck’s voice, deep and sonorous, is somewhat similar to Bing Crosby’s.

See also: Dolly Parton, Billy the Kid comes home for Christmas (book, not album, otherwise it would have its own entry)

Kesha – “Road of Rest”

Lindsey Buckingham “Holiday roadappeared in National Lampoon’s magazine Vacation (both 1983 film and 2015 sequel), National Lampoon’s European holidaysand National Lampoon’s Vacation in Vegas. It didn’t appear in Christmas holidays. At last year’s Disney Holiday Special, country singer Chris Janson tried to evoke the Mandela Effect of an adult Disney by claiming that it was – don’t be fooled!

This should tell you something: for example: “Hallelujah“Holiday Road” is only partly a Christmas song. It’s a road song, which means that, like “Hallelujah,” it’s really good. So even though Kesha perpetuates the Christmas carol myth with her Spotify Singles entry, we’ll allow it. The substance-fueled chaos of Buckingham’s original video is heavily encoded in the style of “Joyride,” and Kesha has recorded plenty of such high-pitched choruses throughout her career: Think “Blow” or “Warrior.” It also enhances the synth line, as in Parenthetical Girls’ cover of “Thank God it’s not Christmas“

See also: Steve Perry Season 3

Ben Folds – “We Could Have This” (feat. Lindsey Craft)

Ben Folds, as always a damn lasso, titled his newly released Christmas album Sled. (No relation to the Slayer tribute project. it already exists.) In the first line of “We Could Have This” he says in a similar tone: “God, I love snow, now that we’re both in it.” Fans of Folds will find plenty to celebrate here, and the track’s closing, sweetly harmonized with swollen strings, will be poignant any time of year.

See also: Ed Sheeran, “Under the Tree” (from the upcoming Netflix film It’s Christmasit’s not out yet)

Jeff Goldblum with Veronica Swift and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra – “Blue Christmas”

If you already knew about Jeff Goldblum’s jazz passion, this won’t surprise you. If not, this list of artists probably sounds like a meme. It’s probably not really that much, but if it is, Goldblum agrees. For many years, he performed weekly with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra at the Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles, bringing his acting skills to a character that Independent called “suave jazz bar Lech“

On the cover of “Blue Christmas,” Goldblum is, of course, suave, with a restrained, almost spoken-word delivery. He’s clearly having a great time, jamming along to his bandmate’s solo: “midnight blue… dark blue…” (low voice) “azure” Meanwhile, bebop singer and setter Veronica Swift plays it more straightforward.

See also: “Holiday Spice” by Jimmy Fallon

Conan Gray – “Vacation”

Like Troye Sivan before him, Conan Gray has made a lucrative transition from YouTuber to sensitive pop boy. (One representative playlist with nearly 30,000 saves on Spotify is called “Conan Gray Songs, But They’re Getting Sadder and Sadder.”)

Surprisingly (to me, not to you, anyone reading this), “Holidays” may be one of the best tracks here. Produced by Dan Nigro, the song uses the drifting melody of “Silver Bells” as its starting point. the whistling ending in particular would fit right into a cozy Christmas mix. However, the lyrics go beyond standard seasonal sentimentality; it’s a truly moving look at the journey home to a city full of fading friendships. The first verse is the most striking: “On Kirby Lane the coffee tastes like petrol. Could you order me some? I’m too cold and too tired to talk.”

See also: Sixpence None The Richer “I Believe in Santa Claus”

Dean, Britta and Sonic Boom – “Pretty Paper”

Luna’s Dean and Britta and Spaceman 3’s Peter Kember have created enough indie-pop bliss over the decades that their Christmas collaboration is already high on this list. “Beautiful paper” began as a Willie Nelson demo, a superficially festive but slightly lonely vignette of a street vendor during peak shopping season. When Roy Orbison recorded it, he played an arrangement that was decidedly traditional. Dean & Britta and Sonic Boom modernize it into a gentle synthpop pulse, a repeating sequencer line curling like tinsel around the melody.

See also: Sunturns’ Christmas III (billed as “Norwegian Christmas indie-pop supergroup”)

Little Big City – “Evergreen”

Little big city Christmas record is the first holiday album in the band’s nearly 20-year career to accompany their special Christmas at the Opry. They recorded both standard and original tracks for the record, but two of them showcase the band best. “Santa Claus Is Back In Town,” an Elvis cover that features Elvis stuff, gets Little Big Town up in arms the way their best singles do. And “Evergreen,” a mid-tempo showcase of traditional harmonies, is reminiscent of Dolly and, oddly but pleasantly, ABBA.

See also: Brett Eldridge Merry Christmas (Welcome to the family) (also with Kelly Clarkson!)

John Waters – “Jingle Bells” (Singing Dogs version)

It is extremely important to clarify that this is the “1971” version.Jingle Bells” performed by dogs and popularized by Dr. Demento. The cover says, “Please don’t listen to this record,” a warning that no one will heed. Out on Sub Pop November 8th.

See also: Nobody. No one can compare to his freak.