Sia Puts Her Unique Spin on Holiday Music With ‘Everyday Is Christmas’

Jordan Bailey

Aussie pop star Sia is back with a new album, but not just any album. For this, her first release under Atlantic, she leaves behind her signature platinum blonde hair for red and green curls. “Everyday Is Christmas” finds Sia with a festive bow on her head singing ten totally original holiday tunes. The album, her eighth, took just two weeks to record and features everything from a fierce Christmas party tune to a soulful ballad and even a funky jazz cut about Santa himself.

One look at the cover art for “Everyday is Christmas” and you’re hooked. Sia’s already a beloved pop singer after the stunning “Chandelier” song hit radio waves along with the viral music video featuring the young dancer Maddie Ziegler. The album does what most Christmas albums fail to do, which is to entertain while remaining wholly original. There’s nary a cover to be heard, making the it all the more worthwhile. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1, she addressed her thinking behind the creation of the album, saying “There’s obviously the classics and stuff, but anything new, I wasn’t vibing that much on it,” going on to say she wanted the album to take on the “shortage of good Christmas music.” Look to the single “Snowman” for proof that Sia is more than capable of putting a totally modern, fresh coat of paint on the nostalgic world of Christmas music. The song toddles along with acoustic piano and jazz brushes as she sings a love letter to a snowman: “I want you to know that I’m never leaving/Cause I’m Mrs. Snow ‘till death do us freezing.” Sia and writing partner Greg Kurstin do a remarkable job of threading the needle between hokey Christmas parodies and genuine holiday romance. When you hear lines such as “Who’ll carry me without legs to run” and “Who’ll hear my secrets if you don’t have ears,” it feels much more like genuine love-struck anxiety than cheesy holiday banter. There’s even a quiet ballad where she bids a tear-jerking goodbye to a snowflake (“Snowflake”), a cheery soft-rock tune where Santa’s elves work to “take your problems apart” and “put ‘em back together using our hearts” (“Sunshine”) and an ode to the greatest gift of all, puppies (“Puppies Are Forever”). Each song represents an undeniably endearing aspect of the holiday, and again, are done with the skill of a seasoned pop star who has chosen to forgo all the hokey aspects that make people nauseous as they walk through a grocery store in December.

She is, of course, no Mariah Carey – the undisputed Queen of Christmas after releasing her now cult-famous “Merry Christmas” album in 1994 – and she certainly can’t hit the octaves that Carey could, but Sia’s overall demeanor and quirky personality make the record an absolute delight. Her voice even cracks during the high notes on the opening track “Santa’s Coming For Us,” but this only serves to contribute to the adorable spirit that can be found throughout the album. During “Candy Cane Lane,” she sings “Take a trip down candy cane lane with me/It’s the cutest thing I swear you’ll ever see.” That could basically be the tagline for this album. Utter cuteness mixed with savvy writing and the overall endearing spirit of the holidays.

“Everyday Is Christmas” is available Nov. 17 on Apple Music.