Christmas in the City (album)
| Christmas in the City | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 25, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 35:16 | |||
| Label | Sony | |||
| Producer |
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| Lea Michele chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Christmas in the City | ||||
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Christmas in the City is the third studio album by American singer Lea Michele. It was released through Sony Music Entertainment on October 25, 2019. The album was produced by Alex and Adam Anders, who produced the tracks featured on Glee. Christmas in the City features an original track, "Christmas in New York", and three duets—Michele sings with Jonathan Groff on "I'll Be Home for Christmas", with Darren Criss on "White Christmas" and with Cynthia Erivo on "Angels We Have Heard on High".[1] "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was released ahead of the album on September 19, 2019.[2]
Background
Michele titled the album Christmas in the City as she grew up in New York City, calling the season "such a beautiful time of year". She also said it was "always [her] dream to make a Christmas record [...] every single song that I picked [...] these are my most favorite Christmas songs."[3] Michele called the original track, "Christmas in New York", "the real anthem of the album", elaborating that "it paints this beautiful picture of New York, but it also is really about what it means to be with your family and friends and engaged in that holiday spirit".[4]
Singles
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was released as the lead single for the album along with the album pre-order on September 19, 2019. The song came on the soundtrack of the TV movie, Same Time, Next Christmas (2019), in which Lea Michele is a part.
"Christmas in New York" was released as the second single from the album. Its music video was released on November 19, 2019.
Critical reception
The City in question in Christmas in the City is naturally New York City—the setting of so many holiday scenes. Lea Michele attempts to capture some of that spirit on her first Christmas album, going so far as to bring in Broadway stars Jonathan Goff and Cynthia Erivo in for duets, but the guest who truly explains the sound and feel of the album is Darren Criss, a fellow graduate of Glee. He's not the only alumni of Glee here. Producers Adam Anders and Peer Astrom steer Christmas in the City, making sure that it feels retro yet fresh—a trick they pulled off time and time again on the television show. Since Christmas in the City is designed to be a throwback to mid-20th century holiday tropes, it tends to feel a bit fussier than what showed up on TV, but tradition is where Michele thrives. She seizes the songs and the arrangements with gusto, singing like an actor who finally landed a cherished role, and her enthusiasm gives Christmas in the City some life.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" | 2:32 | |
| 2. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | 2:45 | |
| 3. | "Christmas in New York" |
| 3:15 |
| 4. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (featuring Jonathan Groff) | 3:13 | |
| 5. | "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" | 3:03 | |
| 6. | "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" | 2:57 | |
| 7. | "Silent Night" | 3:13 | |
| 8. | "White Christmas" (featuring Darren Criss) | 3:14 | |
| 9. | "Silver Bells" | 2:32 | |
| 10. | "Angels We Have Heard on High" (featuring Cynthia Erivo) |
| 3:29 |
| 11. | "O Holy Night" | 5:03 | |
| Total length: | 35:16 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "White Christmas" |
| 3:13 |
Charts
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[6] | 25 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] | 175 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] | 140 |
| US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[8] | 3 |
References
- ^ Crucchiola, Jordan (September 18, 2019). "Lea Michele to Release First Christmas Album Years After You Assumed She Already Had One". Vulture. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ Samhan, Jamie (September 20, 2019). "Lea Michele Releases 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year' From Upcoming Christmas Album". ET Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ Tracy, Brianne (September 18, 2019). "Lea Michele Is Releasing Her First-Ever Christmas Album: 'It's a Great Explanation of Where I'm at in My Life'". People. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ Mamo, Heran (September 18, 2019). "Lea Michele to Reunite With 'Glee' Stars for First Holiday Album 'Christmas in the City'". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ "【CD】クリスマス・イン・ザ・シティ Album". Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Japan. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Lea Michele – Christmas in the City" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ "Lea Michele Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2019.