“The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection”, originally released under the title “Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection”, is a Christmas-special extended play (EP). The album was originally released as a Target exclusive on October 14, 2007, by Big Machine Records. It was released to other retailers on December 2, 2008.
For the 2009 holiday season, it peaked at number 14 on both Top Country Albums and Top Holiday Albums. For the 2010 holiday season, The Taylor Holiday Collection re-entered the Top Holiday Albums Chart at number one. As of July 2019, the EP had sold 1.08 million copies in the United States.
….all crisp, cheerful arrangements that are suitably seasonal but also faithful to her bright country-pop.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said the songs on The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection were ….
The opener is a cover of the pop duo Wham!’s 1986 song “Last Christmas”, written by George Michael. Taylor’s version of this song is my personal favorite of all the covers. She also does a nice job on “Santa Baby” originally performed by Eartha Kitt in 1953. Taylor sings a beautiful version of the popular Christmas carol, “Silent Night”, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr.
Songs
- “Last Christmas” (George Michael) 3:28
- “Christmases When You Were Mine”
(Taylor Swift, Liz Rose, Nathan Chapman) 3:06 - “Santa Baby” (Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer) 2:41
- “Silent Night” (Joseph Mohr, Franz Xaver Gruber) 3:32
- “Christmas Must Be Something More” (Taylor Swift) 3:52
- “White Christmas” (Irving Berlin) 2:34
She also performs “White Christmas” written by Irving Berlin for the musical film Holiday Inn, released in 1942. Taylor’s version has a bluegrass sound which I like. The other two songs are written by Taylor Swift. “Christmases When You Were Mine” was written by Swift, Liz Rose, and Nathan Chapman. Lyrically, the track fixates on prior Christmases, in which the song’s protagonist was happier. The lyrics also express that the current Christmas is much harder to cheer for than previous ones.
The Band
- Taylor Swift – lead vocals; arrangements for “Silent Night”
- Heidi Beall – background vocals
- Nick Buda – drums
- Nathan Chapman – producer, songwriter, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals, mixing
- Eric Darken – percussion
- Rob Hajacos – fiddle
- Andy Leftwich – mandolin
- Tim Marks – bass guitar
- Scotty Sanders – Dobro
“Christmas Must Be Something More”, also written by Taylor, attempts for audiences to recognize the reason for the celebration of Christmas, the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s birth. “Christmases When You Were Mine” and “Christmas Must Be Something More”have become two of my favorite Christmas songs of all time.
Swift is fine singer, who finds ways to inject sincere emotion into every line she sings. They say the best things come in small packages. And that saying holds true for Swift’s new one.
Dan Maclntosh of Country Standard Time
Production
- Sue Peterson – executive producer
- Shelli Hill – executive producer
- Melinda Norris Photography – photographer
- Shelli Hill – executive producer
- Kyle Ford – assistant engineer
- Sandi Spika Borchetta – dress design, hair
- Chad Carlson – recording
- Mathieu Bitton – art direction, design
- Phil Schullo – additional engineering
- Whitney Sutton – production copy
- Lorri Turk – make-up
- Stacey Ward – project manager
- Hank Williams – mastering
Further Reading
Sources
