Ariana Grande & The Heirs To Mariah Carey’s Christmas Throne

It's that time of year, the most wonderful, when Mariah Carey shoots up the charts worldwide with a song released 23 years ago because she is undeniably the Queen of Christmas.

'All I Want For Christmas Is You' somehow sounds better every year, as do her two Christmas albums - Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas II You, obviously - and she even released a film based on the song this year.

However, holiday albums have had a resurgence in recent years with everyone from Ariana Grande to Sia releasing their own collections of festive originals, but who lives up to the ultra-festive bar set by MC?

Do any have the potential to be holiday classics that we still ask Sophia The Robot to play them for us in 2040?

Well, there's certainly a few contenders. Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber's albums have all certified platinum in the US, although Kelly's is undoubtedly the one that comes back around each year, most likely due to her year flawless (and frankly life-changing) cover of 'Run Rudolph Run'. Honestly, it's everything about Christmas - snow, woolly jumpers, Home Alone - bundled into 2 minutes and 28 seconds.

The album itself, Wrapped In Red, is a mix of good 'ole fashioned covers and a handful of originals, and we reckon Clarkson has her eye on Mariah's crown as she dropped another new tune titled 'Christmas Eve' fresh for this winter.

While we're being honest, we're going to go ahead and say that Christina Aguilera's album My Kind of Christmas is a forgotten classic. Despite being a million-seller in the States, you'd be forgiven for not having heard of it before now because the very-of-its-time pop production didn't go down too well with critics at the time.

Released in 2000, it is everything you could possibly want from a Christina Christmas album recorded in the early '00s: jaw-dropping ad-libs, *NSYNC-esque production and - most importantly - an interlude titled 'Xtina's Xmas'. It's wonderfully outrageous and while she may not be recognised as an heir to Mariah's throne, she sure is one to us.

Of the aforementioned albums, Justin Bieber's was the only one to receive the official blessing of Miss Mariah Christmas herself. His 2011 album Under the Mistletoe featured a ('SuperFestive!') cover of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' that was actually a duet (!) with Carey and released as a single, complete with its own music video. Forget winning the lottery, that is like meeting Santa Claus!

Bieber's festive set also spawned the modern Christmas classic 'Mistletoe', one of few original festive songs to be released in recent years that has actually stuck around. With Usher and Busta Rhymes also featuring on Under The Mistletoe, it's definitely not such a classical affair but a super-sweet and nostalgic snapshot of Bieber 1.0 before the bad boy-turned-good-turned-somewhere-in-the-middle journey happened.

Also, the album debuted at Number 1 on Billboard 200 - the US album chart - which means it charted higher than any other album mentioned before. Yes, even Mariah's! The scandal!

While a Number 1 album will always be impressive, the charts aren't all that important as Mariah's reputation has evidently overshadowed the chart position.

This brings us to the ultimate heiress to Mariah's Christmas Throne: the one and only, ever-glowing, incredible Ariana Grande.

Let us be clear that this is not due to past comparisons or to stir up juvenile fan feuds but rather because, just like Mariah, Ariana is a festive vocalist with a lot of Christmas cheer to give and original ways to give it, making her the most promising of all to keep the cool and classic in Christmas.

Ariana's rise to the festive reign began in 2013 when she dropped a 4-track EP Christmas Kisses, a sweet introduction with two timeless covers ('Last Christmas' and 'Santa Baby') and two original songs. It was a sweet way to dip her toes into the mulled wine but the lights really switched on when she dropped the insanely catchy 'Santa Tell Me', which has become a certified Christmas staple.

With an adorable video and earworm of a chorus, the jingly bop has came back around each year alongside 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' and 'Mistletoe' as the winter kicks in.

Her title as the Christmas Princess was cemented in 2015 when she dropped the sensual Christmas & Chill, a 6-track EP with a a Netflix-switching title that says it all, as she makes the festive season her own with six banging R&B bops that are sultry odes to making your, er, loved ones feel special at the best time of year.

There's no question that Mariah Carey will always be the Christmas Queen but with hope of a Christmas & Chill follow-up coming next year, we'd say Ariana is leading the younger festive pack of pop.

All hail our Christmas Queens and Kings! Merry Christmas!

Words: Ross McNeilage

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