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?

As the semester winds down, the one thing everyone has been dreading begins to loom over our heads—finals. So, to prepare for finals and the holly jolly holiday season, here is a mix of albums from holiday seasons old and new to listen to as you as you avoid studying for finals.

In October 1994, Mariah Carey released a Christmas staple, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” For 25 years, this song has been a Christmas staple, sung at Christmas and holiday parties the moment we trade our jack-o’-lanterns in for tinsel.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it’s socially acceptable to bump your favorite holiday songs for all to hear. Here’s what Cadenza will be playing for the rest of the holiday season.

Justin Bieber recorded a Christmas album, and I can’t think of a better artist to release a Christmas album from a marketing standpoint. This will probably be the most popular stocking stuffer this year. Despite my acknowledged status as a “Belieber,” I did not expect to like the album—and yet, I did.

After her successful release of the “Merry Christmas” album in 1994, Mariah Carey has donned the Santa suit again with her most recent album. The disc features four original songs, an “extra-festive” re-release of “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and eight covers of Christmas classics.

“Glitter” has a pretty respectable position on the IMDb Bottom 100. At No. 85, it’s sitting pretty, 16 spots from being off the list, among the likes of “Troll 2” (1990) and “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” (2009). If you don’t know the story of “Glitter,” I’m surprised.

When Mel Gibson so impressively screamed for freedom at the end of “Braveheart,” it was stirring. When the United States freed itself from the claws of George III, we became a nation. When you are freed from the oppression of Washington University midterms, it is exhilarating. Freedom, therefore, of all shapes and sizes, appears to be a good thing.

Rating: 4.5/5 For fans of: Whitney Houston, Leona Lewis, Alica Keys Tracks to download: ‘H.A.T.E. U.’, ‘Standing O’, ‘Angel’s Cry’ Catering to a society that has been criticized as having […]