It Must Be Christmas is the sixth studio album and first Christmas album by American country music artist Chris Young. It was released on October 14, 2016, by RCA Records Nashville.[1] Young co-wrote two of the album's ten tracks. The album features collaborations with Boyz II Men, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson.
| It Must Be Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 14, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:00 | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville | |||
| Producer |
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| Chris Young chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three stars out of five. "[It] does everything a modern mainstream holiday album should do," writes Erlewine, "it plays upon memories of Christmas while appealing to the moment at hand." He added that the original songs "feel like radio tunes" rather than seasonal material.[1] Chuck Dauphin of country music blog Sounds Like Nashville wrote a positive review in which he praised Young's "classic approach" to the holiday fare. "Whether it be a "New" classic or an evergreen one," he writes, "Young hits all the right notes on the album."[2]
Commercial
editUpon release, It Must Be Christmas debuted in the top five of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at number four and also topped the Holiday Albums chart. The album has sold 74,100 copies in the US as of November 2017.[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Christmas Song" | 3:34 | |
| 2. | "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | 2:42 | |
| 3. | "Under the Weather" |
| 3:06 |
| 4. | "There's a New Kid in Town" (featuring Alan Jackson) | 4:09 | |
| 5. | "Holly Jolly Christmas" | Johnny Marks | 2:18 |
| 6. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | 3:25 | |
| 7. | "The First Noel" (featuring Brad Paisley) |
| 3:35 |
| 8. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | 3:37 | |
| 9. | "Silent Night" (featuring Boyz II Men) | 4:03 | |
| 10. | "It Must Be Christmas" |
| 3:31 |
| Total length: | 34:00 | ||
Personnel
editCredits adapted from AllMusic.[4]
Vocals
- Boyz II Men – featured vocals (9)
- Corey Crowder – background vocals
- Alan Jackson — featured vocals (4)
- Brad Paisley – featured vocals (7)
- Kristen Rogers – background vocals
- Chris Young – lead vocals, background vocals
Musicians
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Production
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Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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References
edit- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (October 14, 2016). "It Must Be Christmas - Chris Young". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Dauphin, Chris (October 17, 2016). "Album Review: Chris Young's 'It Must Be Christmas'". Sounds Like Nashville. SpinMedia. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (November 26, 2017). "Top Country Catalog Sales Chart: November 26, 2017". Roughstock. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- ^ "Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Chris Young Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ "Chris Young Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Chris Young Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 4, 2018.