Whether it be for profit or just their true adoration of the festive season, almost every pop star has felt the need to contribute to the mountainous sea of holiday music. An artist’s reach and popularity does not seem to matter — the likelihood of any musician releasing a holiday tune (or 20) is astronomically high. So, given the oversaturation of this genre, should these pop stars have released a holiday album/EP, or should they have stayed in their own lane?

Mariah Carey — Merry Christmas

There isn’t really much to say about this album except to reiterate that, as the reigning holiday queen, Mariah Carey did the world a great service by releasing “Merry Christmas.” Of course this was the right choice. Carey’s voice is the true star of this 1994 album. It is effortless, powerful, and vibrant, with strong gospel and soul influences — everything that one could want (and more) to bring them out of the winter blues. Carey is consistently backed by a choir, which allows for a fuller, richer sound that only adds to the robust gospel feel. Though this entire album deserves a listen, the standouts are “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” both of which feature bright and upbeat productions that stay grounded through Carey’s vocal performance.

Sabrina Carpenter — fruitcake

This one’s a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the second song on this EP “buy me presents” is an absolute hit. It features witty lyrics and amusing ad libs with a saxophone solo that is the icing on the (fruit)cake. Though the EP’s fifth song “is it new years yet?”sounds remarkably similar to Carpenter’s single “Feather,” it features authentic and relatable lyrics that are a much-needed reprieve from the endless amount of holiday love songs. “Santa, Santa, boy, you’re the worst / It’s the 25th, I wish it was the 1st / Couples all around me, damn, it hurts / Wanna push ’em in the fireplace and watch ’em burn,” she croons. 

But the EP’s other songs fail to add anything new or exciting to the already overflowing repertoire of holiday anthems. “A Nonsense Christmas” is an unnecessary cheesy holiday remix of Carpenter’s hit single “Nonsense.” “santa doesn’t know you like i do” and “cindy lou who” are somewhat boring and repetitive in terms of production and lyricism. “white xmas” is yet another cover of “White Christmas” that is not nearly as interesting as other versions. It would have been preferable for Sabrina Carpenter to release “buy me presents” and “is it new years yet?” as singles, much like Taylor Swift’s “Christmas Tree Farm.”

Kelly Clarkson — Wrapped in Red

Though Kelly Clarkson played it relatively safe with her holiday album “Wrapped in Red,” she has rightfully entered the holiday sphere. Clarkson’s voice is powerful, beautiful, and heartfelt — truly shining throughout all 14 songs. The production and live instruments within the album add to the holiday cheer, and though the album may not be as iconic as Mariah Carey’s, it is still a classic. The real stars of this album are “Wrapped in Red,” “Underneath the Tree,” “Run Run Rudolph,” and “My Favorite Things,” all of which allow Clarkson’s impressive voice to shine. There are, however, a few duds. “Winter Dreams (Brandon’s Song)” is produced to sound almost childish — like a song that could be featured on Disney Channel. Her cover of “White Christmas,” much like Sabrina Carpenter’s, is too simplistic and can be boring to listen to. And “4 Carats” features sickeningly basic and cheesy lyrics, like “Well, Santa, I’ve been thinking / And I just need one thing / You to bring me / Something shiny.” Ultimately, however, the hits on this album make up for its missteps.

Sia — Everyday Is Christmas

Unfortunately, this album should have stayed in the drafts. Between its erratic production, Sia’s nasal vocal choices, and questionable lyrics, it is honestly hard to get through. In “Puppies in the Window,” Sia sings “Puppies are forever, not just for Christmas,” and “Oh, oh, my sweet, oh, my sweet / Little puppy from the window / I will never let you go / ’Cause now you’re my family.” Why there needed to be a song about the tragedy of buying puppies for Christmas and later abandoning them is a mystery that will never be solved. 

In “Ho Ho Ho,” the singer will not stop saying “Ho ho ho.” It appears in every single line. “Ho ho ho, bring a bottle of rum / Ho ho ho, cream and whiskey bourbon / Ho ho ho, bring a bottle of booze / We got nothing to lose, ho ho ho,” she wails. The song “Underneath the Christmas Lights” opens with Sia’s attempt at an operatic vocal sound, backed by a slow piano, and is followed by the so-called chorus, which is simply the phrase “Underneath the Christmas lights” repeated nine times. Even the song “Snowman,” which possesses a catchy melody and (relatively) non-cringe-inducing lyrics cannot save this album. Altogether, “Everyday Is Christmas” is a mess of an album that fails to spread holiday cheer.