Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
| "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "All I Want Is You (This Christmas)" |
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released on November 29, 1998 as the first and only single from their second studio album, Home for Christmas. The song charted at #37 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. The single was also the second from NSYNC's European seasonal album, The Winter Album. A cappella group Pentatonix covered the song in their 2016 Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas.
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine reviewed the song in the context of Home for Christmas, and gave the following review:
It's always a sign that a group is hot if they release a holiday album mere months after their debut. That's the case with *NSYNC. Their debut was released in America in late March, and in early December, Home for Christmas hit the shelves. Much of the album is devoted to newer material, such as the anthemic "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays", and only a handful of songs qualifying as standards: "The Christmas Song," "The First Noel," and "O Holy Night." All of it is given the familiar *NSYNC sheen, alternating between slickly produced adult contemporary ballads and lite dance-pop.
Music video
The video for the track was directed by Lionel C. Martin. The video's premise is Santa has become sick on Christmas Eve. Gary Coleman, dressed as an elf, summons NSYNC to take over. The boys deliver toys, presents, and good cheer throughout. The video debuted on TRL December 14, 1998. A reference to Coleman's classic sitcom Diff'rent Strokes is made when after Coleman tells NSYNC to deliver the presents, they say, "Whatchu talkin' about, Gary?", a play on the classic line, "Whatchu talkin' about, Willis?".[1]
Track listing
- "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" – 4:12
- "All I Want Is You (This Christmas)" – 3:16
Charts
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[2] | 37 |
| Chart (2017–18) | Peak position |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] | 74 |
| Invalid chart entered Germany2 | 59 |
Cover versions
- Issues recorded the song for the Fearless Records compilation Punk Goes Christmas.
- Chicago recorded the song for their third Christmas album, O Christmas Three.
- Midnight Red recorded the song for their first studio album, "Midnight Red".
- Pentatonix recorded the song for their third Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas.
References
- ^ "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" Official music video on YouTube
- ^ "*N Sync Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "*N Sync – Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 5, 2018.