Christmas has arrived two months early as The Voice coaches Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande have released their duet, "Santa Can't You Hear Me," off of Kelly's new Christmas album When Christmas Comes Around... Kelly previously released the album's third track, "Christmas Isn't Canceled (Just You)" on September 23rd. Kelly and Ariana have been working together while shooting The Voice season 21. They performed together along with their fellow coaches, John Legend and Blake Shelton, for a mashup of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming."
When Christmas Comes Around... is Kelly's ninth studio album and second Christmas album. She released her first holiday album, Wrapped In Red, in 2013. The album featured the title track "Wrapped In Red" and "Underneath The Tree." It also featured artists Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, and Ronnie Dunn. Wrapped In Red contained sixteen tracks, five original songs, and eleven covers of traditional Christmas songs. "Santa Can't You Hear Me" marks the first time Kelly and Ariana have recorded a song together.
Now Kelly is back in the Christmas spirit with a new duet with fellow coach, Ariana Grande. In the song, the two powerhouse vocalists ask Santa to keep his gifts and mistletoe and instead deliver them the gift they really desire; a Christmas love. Throughout the song, Kelly and Ariana sing back and forth on the verses in harmony. iHeart calls the duet "captivating." The four-minute song is an uptempo pop song similar to Kelly's other popular Christmas songs, "Underneath The Tree" and "Christmas Eve."
Kelly has been publicly going through a divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. She sings a heartwrenching ballad on the album, seemingly directed towards her ex. The song, titled "Merry Christmas (To The One I Used To Know)," was co-written by Kelly and Aben Eubanks. Kelly states that she intends for her new Christmas album to reflect the different headspaces people may be in around the holiday season. In a statement about the album, Kelly said the album "captures how different the holidays can be for all of us during the varying stages of our lives, and I hope everyone can find something on the record they relate to."
Christmas has surely gotten a lot more exciting for fans of both Kelly and Ariana. Their upbeat duet adds plenty of delight to the already joyous holiday season. However, some people may find solace in some of the sadder songs on the album. The holiday season, though exciting, isn't always so easy for everyone, and the pressure to feel happy simply because it's Christmas time can be overwhelming. Kelly's understanding that not everyone is in the happiest headspace around the holidays invites in a plethora of other fans who can enjoy the album as well. There's still time before the Christmas season fully kicks into gear, but Kelly and Ariana already have their fans skipping right over Halloween and putting up their Christmas trees.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Sources: Kelly Clarkson/Youtube, iHeart