Carrie Underwood’s Christmas Album is finally here and although it’s only September, it seems the holidays have come early. The country superstar has recorded multiple holiday tracks since winning American Idol in 2005, but today’s release titled My Gift is the first full-length Christmas album of her 15+ year career. 

With a mix of Christmas classics like “O Holy Night”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Mary Did You Know”, and “O Come All Ye Faithful”, plus original songs sure to become holiday favorites such as “Let There Be Peace”, “Sweet Baby Jesus”, and “Hallelujah”, the album truly has something for everyone. There are even special guests including John Legend and a very unique ‘Little Drummer Boy’, Underwood’s 5-year-old son, Isaiah Fisher. 

The record is full of gospel and soul and showcases two of Carrie Underwoods’ most notable qualities; her killer pipes and her religious devotion. The album has plenty of powerful registers known around the world, but fans will also see a softer side of Underwood’s voice throughout the project as she lends gentler vocals to the spiritual lyrics. The singer-songwriter (plus lifestyle brand entrepreneur and most recently best-selling author) has always put her faith front and center in her career and this project is no different. Even the name of the album, “My Gift” came from a place of worship. 

“I tried to think about the songs that were in it and one of my favorites is “Little Drummer Boy” because the sentiment behind it is so honest,” Underwood said in a teaser video for the project earlier this year. “They’re bringing gifts to baby Jesus and he doesn’t have anything, he’s poor. So he says ‘I’m gonna play my drum for him, that’s what I have’. And to me, that is a gift that was given to him by God. I love music. I love singing. That is my personal gift that I have that I am blessed to do and I want to use that gift and give it back to Jesus”. 

The timing may have finally been right for the songstress to release a holiday project, but the coronavirus pandemic provided a unique challenge when it came to finishing the album. Thanks to technology, however, producer Greg Wells was able to be with Underwood in the studio via Zoom. Behind the scenes, video from the sessions show studio musicians and choral singers socially distant and wearing masks. 

Fans will get a chance to experience the album another way this winter when HBO Max airs an exclusive holiday special. Underwood will appear with a live orchestra and choir, performing both traditional and original songs from the album. An air date for the special hasn’t been announced yet.

“Now more than ever we all need to focus on what Christmas is about,” says Underwood.  “Even though it has been a tough year, sometimes I feel like the greatest realizations can come in the worst times or in the most stressful times and it makes you more thankful for the things that you do have.”  Right now, we’re thankful for the new Carrie Underwood music!

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My Gift is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music‘ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.