Kick Off the Festive Season With Our Joy-Filled Holiday Spotify Singles

The joyous holiday season is among us and Spotify is ready to follow along as you prepare to light the candles, decorate the tree, or concoct a delicious mulled cider. But instead of hitting play on last year's favorite festive hits, we have a new set of merry melodies that have been added to our ever-expanding Spotify Singles: Holiday Collection.

As is our own seasonal tradition, we worked with artists from around the globe to reimagine classic holiday tracks and record them in a fresh new way. Get to know some of this year's artists-and their favorite holiday traditions-below.

Tom Grennan - Driving Home For Christmas

London-based singer-songwriter Tom Grennan quickly went from guest vocalist to headlining artist as fans fell in love with his soulful voice.

Why did you choose the song you covered? Chris Rea's Driving Home For Christmas always gets me in the holiday mood and really makes me think of family. I put it on when I'm heading back to my parents' house for Christmas and it gets me super excited, feeling very festive.

What's a holiday tradition of yours? A holiday tradition would defo be having a snowball in the morning whilst opening presents. It's not the nicest of drinks but it's a tradition me and my family have.

Kenia OS - Blanca Navidad

Kenia OS, a Spotify RADAR Mexico artist, breezes seamlessly between Spanish-language pop and hip-hop in her music.

Why did you choose the song you covered? Blanca Navidad is one of the classic songs in my home when Christmas starts. When I had to choose a song that represents that magical moment with my loved ones, it was the only one I could think of.

What's a holiday tradition of yours? A very important holiday tradition for me is decorating our home for Christmas. In the first couple days of December, my sister and I have the tradition of going together to choose the Christmas tree and decorate it.

Kalush Orchestra - Shchedrivka

Kalush Orchestra is a Ukrainian group and 2022 Eurovision winner that fuses traditional Ukrainian folk instruments and melodies with modern hip-hop beats.

Why did you choose the song you covered? In anticipation of the Christmas holidays, everyone wants a miracle. We are waiting only for the most important thing-the victory of Ukraine. We hope that our cover of Shchedrivka will bring positive emotions to Ukrainians and show the world community the true spirit of traditional Ukrainian Christmas.

What is your holiday tradition? It has become a tradition for our group to walk with the nativity scene and sing carols on Epiphany Eve in early January. Last year in Kyiv, we went around the apartments of Kyiv residents and sang. And before that, Ukrainian carols were also sung in the city transport of Kyiv.

Kaylee Bell - Christmas Tree Farm

New Zealand country pop star Kaylee Bell was first introduced to fans through the television show The Voice Australia and is now bringing her talent to listeners around the world.

Why did you choose the song you covered? I am the biggest Christmas fan and Taylor Swift fan, so what better way than to get to tie those two things together than with Christmas Tree Farm ? This song always makes me feel happy and excited for Christmas and that's the kind of joy I want to spread.

What's a holiday tradition of yours? I put up the Christmas Tree and watch Love Actually while doing so every single year with a glass of sparkling grape juice and scorched almonds. It's random-I know!

Lasse Skriver - It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted)

Lasse Skriver hails from Denmark and was a carpenter before he appeared on the country's version of X-Factor and became an overnight singing sensation.

Why did you choose the song you covered? I chose Roxette's It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted) because I think the story behind it is very interesting and it's also just a really good song. I knew of the song before I made the cover but never had any idea that it originally was a Christmas song, so I wanted to make a cover with its original meaning, where the theme of Christmas shines through like intended.

What's a holiday tradition of yours? Every year around Christmastime I'll be at my grandparents' place, where we bake all kinds of cakes and pastries and just enjoy each other's company. It is a tradition I treasure very much!

IVE - After LIKE (Holiday Mix)

IVE is a six-member girl group taking over the K-Pop scene.

Why did you choose the song you did? We think After LIKE is one of our most upbeat songs that goes well with the holiday vibes. With Spotify Holiday Singles, we wanted to take it up a notch and make it even more Christmassy. Also, the sampling of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive in After LIKE makes it a more easy-listening and enjoyable song for all. That is why we thought this song would be perfect for the holiday season.

What's a holiday tradition of yours? Korea doesn't have any specific year-end holiday traditions, but on Lunar New Year and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), we would wear Hanbok, Korea's traditional clothing. While wearing Hanbok, Koreans perform a New Year's bow to their elders, and sometimes the elders would give allowances to the young ones.

For the holiday season, however, we just spend time with our loved ones and eat delicious food with the holiday spirit! Japan is quite similar to Korea overall, but Japan has a unique tradition of eating soba ( toshikoshi soba ) on December 31. This soba is nothing special, but there are many reasons why the Japanese eat it on the last day of the year. Soba noodles are long, so eating toshikoshi soba symbolizes our wish for longevity. At the same time, soba noodles can be cut easily, so it also represents our wish to break off from the bad in

LINK:	https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-11-16/kick-off-the-festive-season-wi...
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