My Kind of Christmas is the third studio album and first Christmas album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 24, 2000, by RCA Records. The album was recorded from late 1999 to mid 2000, while Aguilera was touring to promote her first two albums: Christina Aguilera (1999) and Mi Reflejo (2000). My Kind of Christmas contains cover versions of Christmas standards, such as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Angels We Have Heard on High", as well as several original recordings, which incorporate dance-pop elements. The album was produced by Ron Fair, the Matrix, Robbie Buchanan, Barry Harris and Chris Cox.
| My Kind of Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1999–Mid 2000 | |||
| Studio | Royaltone Studios Ocean Way Nashville Signet Sound Studios Metalworks Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:25 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Christina Aguilera chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from My Kind of Christmas | ||||
| ||||
My Kind of Christmas received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who criticized its musical style and Aguilera's vocals. The album peaked at number 28 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having sold 1,015,000 copies. Aguilera appeared on several television shows, such as The Early Show and The David Letterman Show, to promote the album, and also performed a special concert for ABC, which was released on DVD in June 2001, as My Reflection.
Background
editAguilera achieved success following the release of her first two studio albums, Christina Aguilera in 1999 and Mi Reflejo in late-2000 respectively, both of which were certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[2] In 1999, Aguilera released a cover of "The Christmas Song" which found critical and commercial success peaking at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[3] Recording for My Kind of Christmas began from early to mid-2000, when Aguilera was touring to support her debut and Spanish-counterpart albums.[4] A cover version of the song "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from the 1959 musical The Sound of Music was recorded for the album but ultimately it was not included on the tracklist and remains unreleased.[5]
Composition
edit
My Kind of Christmas is a Christmas and dance-pop album,[1] which is made up of mainly cover versions of Christmas standards along with several new tracks.[4] The album begins with two original songs. "Christmas Time" is a "catchy, upbeat, pop song, all about the Christmas season" and includes a rap from Aguilera towards the end.[7][8] "This Year" was co-written by Aguilera and is a hip hop and R&B-infused song where "Aguilera sings about spending the holidays with her sweetheart in a typical xtina fashion".[8][4]
This is followed by "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Merry Christmas, Baby" which are the three soulful and gospel ballads from the album, backed by a 70-piece orchestra.[9] Originally, Etta James was planned to be included as a featured performer on the track "Merry Christmas, Baby".[9] However Dr. John was chosen instead.[4] A portion of "Auld Lang Syne" is included at the beginning of "Merry Christmas, Baby" with some deeming the input to be unnecessary.[8] Aguilera's cover of "O Holy Night" was received with mixed reviews with comparisons made to Mariah Carey's version.[10][8] Aguilera recites The Lord's Prayer during the song which was called "awkward but nice".[8] Wales Online called it one of "the absolute worst Christmas songs of all time".[11]
"O Holy Night" is followed by Aguilera's cover of Celine Dion's "These Are the Special Times" from her album of the same name.[1] Aguilera then covers Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas", which received praise for its originality.[8][12] "The Christmas Song", previously released in late-1999 was also included in the album.[1][13] This was followed by an interlude titled "Xtina's Xmas".[4] The album ends with "The Christmas Song (Holiday Remix)" which was Aguilera's version of "The Christmas Song" remade as a dance-styled number by Thunderpuss who set the song to "a kicking dance beat".[6]
Promotion
editThe album was released on October 24, 2000, by RCA Records as Aguilera's third studio album in the United States, following her two first albums Christina Aguilera (1999) and Mi Reflejo (2000).[1] It was released as two formats: CD and cassette.[1] In order to promote the album, Aguilera promoted the album on a number of shows, including The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Early Show, and David Letterman Show.[14] On December 10, 2000, Aguilera performed "The Christmas Song", "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants" during a concert at Franklin High in Milwaukee, being watched by 1,300 students.[15] She also performed during an ABC special concert later in December; the set list included songs from her three first studio albums, including a song from My Kind of Christmas, "Have Yourself A Little Merry Christmas".[16] There, she performed the track with Brian McKnight.[16] The concert was filmed and released as a DVD entitled My Reflection (2001).[16]
Singles
edit"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" was the only song released as a single from the album.[8] It was sent to Hot adult contemporary and adult contemporary radio stations on November 15, 1999, as well as receiving a commercial release on a compact disc.[17][18][19] It was released alongside the "Thunderpuss 2000 Holiday Remix" and the Eddie Arroyo Rhythm Mix of "Genie in a Bottle".[18] "The Christmas Song" became Aguilera's fifth top-twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 18 on the chart.[20] Aguilera's version became the second highest position for the song in the chart after the original.[3]
"Christmas Time" was released in December 2000 on a compact disc as a single.[21] RCA released the song in the United States and BMG distributed it throughout Europe.[22] A promotional live video was released as well.[23][24][25]
On November 10, 2023, "This Christmas" was released as a promotional single in Japan, through Sony Music Solutions.[26] The song was later certified gold by IFPI Danmark for selling over 45,000 units.[27]
Reception
editCritical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (C)[9] |
| Rolling Stone | (negative)[28] |
| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | (mixed)[6] |
| The Austin Chronicle | |
The album garnered mixed reviews from music critics who criticized the production and Aguilera's vocal delivery. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "none of the new songs are knockouts" but the album was an "entertaining seasonal dance-pop" that "may not add too much to Christina's catalog" but "suggest that she may not be a mere one-album wonder."[1] Chris Willman from Entertainment Weekly thought that "Aguilera oversings so wildly that there wouldn't have been enough oxygen in the booth to sustain another life form", and that Aguilera "is out of control here, spoiling some nifty modern arrangements with her exhausting insistence on making every other syllable an octave spanning tour de force."[9] Jaan Uhelszki from Rolling Stone criticized the album as being "chilly, forced and overdone",[28] and claimed that the album "is just another forum to showcase Aguilera's formidable bag of vocal gymnastics and posturing without a shred of sincerity or warmth".[28] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was not impressed toward Aguilera's vocal ability on the album, giving it a mixed review.[6] The Austin Chronicle writer Christopher Gray gave the album two stars noting that "Aguilera certainly has the pipes to outlast such jejune nonsense, but she's got to learn some subtlety first, and Christmas songs aren't exactly the best material to be practicing on".[29]
Retrospective reception
editIn an ex post facto review, Billboard writer Taylor Weatherby noted in 2016 that "for some reason, Aguilera's album is not really one that gets circulated annually when local radio stations go into full-on Christmas mode, even despite reaching number-one on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart".[30] However, some musicians, including Fifth Harmony,[31] have gone on the record praising My Kind of Christmas. In his 2018 Rolling Stone interview Ty Dolla Sign named it "one of the greatest albums ever made".[32] Emily Marcus of Us Weekly ranked it among the top ten best Christmas albums ever and called it an "unforgettable holiday album" that "will always remain an all-time favorite".[33] PopCrush writer Alexandra Capotorto noted that "thanks to [Aguilera's] beautiful pipes, we still believe it's one of the best Christmas albums to impact within the pop genre".[34] In 2023, Forbes named a promotional single "Christmas Time" as one of the fifteen most iconic Christmas pop songs, noting that "when she [Aguilera] dropped the Christmas record, it garnered mixed reviews, but as time has passed, this track reigns with its mere pop brilliance."[7]
Commercial performance
editMy Kind of Christmas debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of about 25,000.[35][36] It reached its peak at number 28.[20] It also peaked atop the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum for having sold more than 1,015,000 copies in the country.[2][37]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christmas Time" |
|
| 4:02 |
| 2. | "This Year" |
|
| 4:13 |
| 3. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Fair | 4:03 | |
| 4. | "Angels We Have Heard on High" | Traditional |
| 4:09 |
| 5. | "Merry Christmas, Baby" (featuring Dr. John) |
| Fair | 5:43 |
| 6. | "Oh Holy Night" | Adolphe Adam | Fair | 4:49 |
| 7. | "These Are the Special Times" | Diane Warren |
| 4:31 |
| 8. | "This Christmas" |
| Fair | 4:02 |
| 9. | "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" |
| Fair | 4:25 |
| 10. | "Xtina's Xmas (Interlude)" | "Bassy" Bob Brockmann | 1:32 | |
| 11. | "The Christmas Song (Holiday Remix)" |
|
| 4:01 |
| Total length: | 45:25 | |||
Personnel
edit- Lead vocals, background vocals – Christina Aguilera, E. Dawk, Dr. John, Kim Johnson, Miari
- Keyboard – Alex Alessandroni, BabyBoy, E. Dawk, The Matrix
- Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
- Bass – Chuck Berghofer
- Saxophone – Pete Christlieb, Gene Cipriano, Dan Higgins, Sal Lozano
- Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta, Peter Erskine, Harvey Mason, Harold Jones
- Percussion – Larry Bunker, Steve Forman, Luis Conte
- Violin – Mario de Leon, Joel Derouin, Assa Drori, Kirstin Fife, Armen Garabedian, Galina Golovin, Agnes Gottschewski, Endre Granat, Lily Ho-Chen, Tiffany Ju, Joe Ketendjian, Johana Krejci, Gary Kuo, Natalie Leggett, Kathleen Lenski, Alan Mautner, Francis Moore, Katia Popov, Barbara Porter
- Guitar – John Goux, Ashley Ingram
- Piano – Dr. John, Tom Ranier, Bob Sanov, Billy Preston
- Trumpet – Warren Luening
- Organ – Myron McKinley, Billy Preston
- Producers – Ron Fair, The Matrix
- Executive producer – Ron Fair
- Engineers – Brad Haehnel, The Matrix, Michael C. Ross, Sol Survivor
- Assistant engineers – Howard Karp, Chris Wonzer
- Mixing – Peter Mokran, Dave Pensado, Michael C. Ross
- Mastering – Eddy Schreyer
- Assistants – Chad Brown, Bobby Butler, Brian Dixon, Tony Flores, Paul Forgues, David Guerrero, Michael Huff, Ed Krautner, Charles Paakkari, Howard Risson, Chris Shepherd, Jason Stasium, Bradley Yost
- Digital editing – Tal Herzberg
- Vocal recording – Michael C. Ross
- Programming – ChakDaddy, The Matrix, Sol Survivor
- Arrangers – Ron Fair, The Matrix, Don Sebesky
- String arrangements – Ron Fair
- Vocal arrangement – ChakDaddy, Eric Dawkins, Ron Fair
- Orchestration – Don Sebesky
- Art direction – Brett Kilroe
- Design – Vivian Ng
- Photography – Norman Jean Roy
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa (RISA)[40] | Gold | 25,000* |
| South Korea | — | 24,000[47] |
| United States (RIAA)[2] | Platinum | 1,015,000[37] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Erlewine, Stephen. "My Kind of Christmas by Christina Aguilera on AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c "American album certifications – Christina Aguilera – My Kind of Christmas". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b "Christina Aguilera: Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e My Kind of Christmas (liner notes). Christina Aguilera. United States: RCA Records. 2000.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Rosen, Craig (September 29, 2000). "Christina Aguilera Climbs Every Mountain For 'My Kind Of Christmas'". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Dominguez 2003, p. 180
- ^ a b Alvarez, Lauren (November 20, 2023). "15 Iconic Christmas Pop Songs To Get You In The Holiday Spirit". Forbes. Forbes Media. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Album Review: Christina Aguilera, "My Kind Of Christmas" (2000)". Snippets. 10 October 2003. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Willman, Chris (December 4, 2000). "My Kind of Christmas Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "MINI-REVIEW: CHRISTINA AGUILERA – MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS". 365 Days. 13 August 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "The absolute worst Christmas songs of all time". Wales Online. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Christina Aguiler cover of Donny Hathaway's 'This Christmas'". Who Sampled. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Capotorto, Alexandra (December 11, 2012). "Best Christmas Albums – Christina Aguilera, 'My Kind of Christmas'". PopCrush. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Dominguez 2003, p. 175
- ^ Dominguez 2003, p. 90
- ^ a b c Dominguez 2003, p. 181
- ^ "Going For Adds: AC/Hot AC". Radio & Records. No. 1325. November 12, 1999. pp. 91, 95.
- ^ a b "Christina Aguilera – The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)". Discogs. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Christina Aguiler". All Music. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Christina Aguilera Album and Song Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera – My Kind Of Christmas". Discogs. Zink Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 2020-12-17. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera – Christmas Time – Releases". Discogs. Zink Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Christmas Time (Live) by Christina Aguilera on TIDAL". Tidal. Aspiro. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera – Christmas Time (Live)". YouTube. Alphabet Inc. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Videography". Christina Aguilera. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "This Christmas (Sped + Slowed) – Christina Aguilera" (in Japanese). Sony Music Solutions, Inc. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Danish single certifications – Christina Aguilera – This Christmas". IFPI Danmark. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b c "Shoddy and Nice Holiday Releases". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. December 13, 2000. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera My Kind of Christmas (RCA)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "Here's a Reminder That Christina Aguilera Has a Christmas Album (and It's Amazing)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (November 1, 2016). "Fifth Harmony interview: 'We don't know what the future holds, but we're excited'". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (June 20, 2018). "Ty Dolla $ign Is Making Hits for Everybody This Summer". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Marcus, Emily (December 15, 2017). "Top 10 Christmas Albums Ever: From the '50s Until Now!". Us Weekly. American Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 2019-02-01. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "Best Christmas Albums – Christina Aguilera, 'My Kind of Christmas'". Pop Crush. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "They're Dreaming of a Sluggish Christmas". Los Angeles Times. 30 October 2000.
- ^ "Snow Way!". NME. IPC Media. November 3, 2000. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ a b Trust, Gary (September 1, 2014). "Ask Billboard: Taylor Swift Out-'Shake's Mariah Carey". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Christina Aguilera – My Kind of Christmas" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "My Kind of Christmas" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Music Divas & Rock Bands Top South African Certifications". Music Industry News Network. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ "GAON ALBUM CHART" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: A – Azzido Da Bass". Zobbel Archive. Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다". MIAK (in Korean). Archived from the original on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Chart history: Year End Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Grein, Paul (December 27, 2013). "Chart Watch: Controversy Doesn't Hurt Robertsons' Album". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ "Best Selling Foreign Album in Korea (1999–Now)". MIAK. June 2006. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
Further reading
edit- Dominguez, Pier (2003). Christina Aguilera – A Star Is Made: The Unauthorized Biography. Amber Communications Group, Inc. ISBN 978-0-9702224-5-9.
External links
edit- My Kind of Christmas at Discogs (list of releases)