Christmas Mixtape 2025
Alternatively: YouTube music playlist
I feel like this year's mixtape is a more globally eclectic than previous years, but looking back, not by much, really. I don't think I've put three Japanese tracks on a single mixtape before, but they're all doing very different things and I love all of them. The Eurovision influence is becoming a bit more evident here (although I did spare you DJ BoBo this year. It was a close thing).
I've got this down to a bit of a science by now, but even so I was a bit surprised how quickly this came together this year. I collect a pile of Christmas songs throughout the year and I just kinda listened through them while I was puttering around the house to make the mix. I have a lot of fun doing this. I hope you enjoy it too.
Cover image is Holiday by David Revoy. CC-BY 4.0
Liner notes after the cut:
PIQSIQ – Jingle Bells
You know, I haven't actually put a straight version of Jingle Bells on a mixtape before. Although calling this "straight" is a bit of a stretch. I just think it's kind of a boring song. But then that just makes it easier to mess with.
Ellen saw this on the playlist and said, "Oh, Piqsiq! I had them on my mixtape last year!" Great minds, I guess.
There ends up being quite a bit of Jingle Bells running though the mixtape. I decided to lean into it. See if you can find them all!
John C. Reilly – Ar Fa La La Lo (From "An Almost Christmas Story")
I'm probably going to cancel Disney+ in the new year. Doctor Who's gone and the Star Wars/Marvel stuff isn't much of an incentive these days. But I have liked their approach to Christmas.
I guess, anyway. An Almost Christmas Story appeared without any fanfare and I haven't heard anyone talk about it. It's absolutely lovely, especially as a fan of animation. And this Irish folksong ties the whole thing together really nicely.
The original song is not Christmasy at all, but some clever writer decided to replace references to heather and the sea with pine forests and snow. Oh, and take a line in the last verse that was a little bit racist (they meant well, I'm sure) and made it a little bit wintry instead.
Roman Street – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
I do enjoy discovering a track where you go "Oh, yeah, I know where this is going." Nice, traditional arrangement of a classic Christmas him, and then bam, flamenco guitar! out of nowhere!
Lil Jon – All I Really Want For Christmas
This is Emma's fault. Oh yeah!
Kiana Ledé – The Christmas Song
Ellen and I were talking about how hard it is to find non-instrumental versions of The Christmas Song without the derogatory term for Inuit in there. Even though we've been asked to maybe knock that shit off.
That aside, Kiana has a beautiful voice and who doesn't love a little 808?
dodie – Smile at Snow
Two years ago I promised Dodie on a mixtape. I've been really hoping she'd do an actual studio-recorded Christmas album or EP or something. I like this song a lot, but it's just a YouTube video. I think it's a great song, even if she doesn't love it. I'd love to hear a professional recording of it. Or, heck, she does a tonne of Christmas stuff on her YouTube channel, but as yet, except for her track with Laufey, none of it gets a release.
Anyway, I'm doing it.
I neglected to fix the levels on the Mixcloud version, tho, so I'm kicking myself about that. Look, Audacity was being terrible. I forgot.
Chris Hart – Chicken Rice
I kind of love the Japanese version of Christmas. Like how some clever marketer convinced Japan that Americans eat KFC at Christmas so they should too. It's mostly about the lights and snow and romanticism and not so much about Jesus. Or even Santa.
And cake somehow.
It's probably helpful to actually read the lyrics for this one to get what's going on here. I put a lot of non-English stuff on the mixtape and I think translating everything is generally not necessary. You get it. It's Christmas. I don't think you'd get Chicken Rice just on vibes. It's deeply nostalgic. But it's also about a guy who's finally rich enough to buy a turkey at a fancy hotel only to be vaguely disappointed.
Justin Lassen – Rainbow Road (from "Mario Kart 64")
Scarlet Moon is a videogame-oriented record company which, important for our purposes, puts out a Christmas album every year. They're pretty nice to listen to, and I went though the back catalog after last year's mixtape. Imagine my delight when I discovered their Rainbow Road Christmas mix.
I hesitate to bring up the Rainbow Road meme for those who are unfamiliar. Since while it brings me great joy, I can see it easily ruining this song for you forever. Which is doubly a curse if you play a lot of Mario Kart. If you don't want dumb lyrics in your head every time you hear this song, maybe don't. But it's really tempting now, isn't it?
Steady&Co. – Only Holy Story
More of that Japanese snow and romanticism stuff I was talking about. Here, tho, it's all about impeccable flow.
I dunno, I like it.
Daði Freyr – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
It's actually been a few years since Daði made it onto a mixtape. But he did put out a Christmas EP last year, so here we are.
This is not my favourite Christmas song, but Daði makes it his own. Also, I get a bit of an OK Go vibe from this version, which I appreciate.
Jamie Cullum – I Believe In Father Christmas
Not sure if I found this by going through the rather excellent album or by looking for a cover of this song, but I really like this version.
I really like this song, but I haven't liked many of the covers I've come across. I love Prokofiev's Sleighride, and having that show up in here is nice. The song just has kind of a nice vibe, and this version helps you feel it better than others I've come across.
Ladytron – All Over By Xmas
I think frequent Pop Culture Happy Hour guest Chris Klimek had this on his Christmas Mixtape at some point and I filed it away.
I do listen to other people's mixtapes. This whole project of mine was borne out of my love of DJ Riko's Merry Mixmas. I think my approach and/or music taste varies quite a bit from other examples of the form I've seen out there. I like to think I provide a unique value proposition, you know?
Anyway, I don't know too much about Ladytron, but this reminded me a bit of Sing-Sing, which I was really into at one point. So there you go.
I believe this is the second time I've featured a song with air raid sirens on the mixtapes.
Tae Jin Ah – White Snow
Look, this is amazing and I won't hear otherwise.
Korea's approach to Christmas is similar, but not identical, to Japan's. Not that I feel like you can generalize from this track in particular. Here, I can't help but think this song could easily be the theme song to some 70s sentai show. I don't know why. Merry Christmas!
Emilie-Claire Barlow – Winter Lights (En lumières)
I like to get a fair bit of CanCon on the mixtape. Emilie-Claire Barlow has won Junos. This even gets a bit of French in there. It's a lovely little song and I'm happy to have it in the rotation.
Go_A – Добрим людям на здоров’я
Go_A competed in Eurovision for Ukraine in 2021 with SHUM. That was one of my favourite entries in a pretty great Eurovision year.
Is this song (Dobrjm ljudjam na zdorov'ja or "For the Health of Good People!") a Christmas song? There're sleigh bells and howling winds in the mix. And the lyric video has a snowfall filter. So good enough!
I wasn't really able to find out much about it. It's credited to Go_A. I don't know if it's traditional or based on anything traditional. The lyrics are about ploughing and sowing. Which isn't exactly winter. But hey, if Carol of the Bells can be a beloved Christmas classic based on a Ukrainian song about the springtime, so can this!
Sultans of String – Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Ooh, sand art!
I have a real soft spot for Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Mary Fahl's moving vocals and the horns make the first half of this what I'd consider a fantastic and faithful rendition of the hymn, albeit with a bit of jazzy drum and guitar. But then, bam! Flamenco guitar again! How did I get away with this twice?
Barbara Dennerlein – Oh Tannenbaum
I've stated previously that however much I love the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, I can't put Vince Garaldi on the mixtape because holy crap, he's everywhere. But putting covers is becoming a bit of a tradition. Except it's not Skating this time!
momoland – Joyful
Momoland here is definitely not the K-pop girl group, since they formed out of a reality show in 2016. This momoland performed as an interval act in 2014's Eurovision grand final. The existence of the K-pop girl group makes it absolutely impossible to find out anything about this momoland.
(My favourite part of that video, by the way, is how awkwardly terrified all the background singers are on their ladders. You guys rehearsed this, right? Okay, maybe not).
The Hymn to Joy (Joyful, joyful we adore thee, etc.) is not specifically a Christmas hymn, liturgically speaking, but Ode to Joy gets trotted out at Christmas all the time, and hearing the hymn at a Christmas cantata is not at all unusual. I really liked this when I was watching through Eurovisions of the 2010s a few months ago and think it's nice to have on the mixtape.
Renny Mathew – Doore Vanil
I'm utterly smitten with Mayalam Christmas songs. They are delightful. I promise there's more than just Renny Mathew (who was also on last year's mixtape) doing these, but his are pretty great, with videos that are absolutely charming.
Hey Rosetta! – Carry Me Home
Great original Christmas song from a Canadian band. It would make a fantastic end to the mixtape, except...
BUMP OF CHICKEN – Merry Christmas
Bonus track! Kind of. I overran the self-imposed 75-minute limit, but, you know what? I'm pretty happy with this collection of songs.
This is an awfully Irish-sounding Japanese song. And man, that ending. That's how you end a Christmas mixtape.
Merry Christmas!