I finally had a chance to deck the halls yesterday! Pictures will be shared tomorrow. Next year I have plans to deck the halls outside, too – I mean, we have the giant inflatable Christmas Dinosaur holding fort, and our red and green lights (which half seem to have decided not to work – need to get that fixed soon, so the dino’s not half-lit with half-lit lights around him) but we need (read: I want) to do something more.

I’m hoping we can find someone who isn’t afraid of heights so we can get some lights strung on the outside of the house – the hubby is petrified of heights, so we’re gonna need some help with that. I have mental plans, people! Hopefully next year they won’t be stuck in my head…heh!

Meanwhile, it’s Monday, and Monday means music! For the month of December, the running theme for the entire month is Christmas Song/Music/Tunes! Let’s get into the spirit, and let’s get this party started!

Let’s start with an awesome rendition of this song by one of my favorite artists – I couldn’t find any specific information about it, other than it was the title song of Epic Records first-ever holiday EP, released in 2014, that had great artists singing great Christmas songs. I know you’ll enjoy this one.

Here’s the amazing Meghan Trainor with “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”:

Next up is the the title track of this artist’s recently-released first holiday album, one already climbing the Holiday Radio Chart. Its success comes as no surprise, as her vivacious personality and big-hearted voice are perfect for songs of the season. Her producer was quoted as saying:

“[The artist] is so versatile and has such a command of her instrument that anything is possible with her. So, we picked what we thought would be the most elegant approach to Christmas classics – one that shone the brightest light on the songs themselves, and on her magnificent voice.”

The album features fresh versions of these favorites, but this particular song is an original tune, co-written by the artist and Simon Wilcox. It is a total charmer, with lyrics that are a timely reminder that there should be more to Christmas than material gifts:

“My bank account is closed / and I’ve got pockets full of holes / would it be enough if I gave you kisses for Christmas?”

In keeping with the spirit of the season, there is a charitable component to the song and the video. The artist partnered with the Ontario SPCA to feature rescue dogs who are in need of adoption throughout the video, and the SPCA has created a unique “Christmas Kisses” page where donations can be submitted to help care for rescue animals.

Without further ado, here’s Serena Ryder with “Christmas Kisses”:

It goes without saying that the holidays are a time of reflection, love, and joy for most. As the decor and ambiance of the season officially gets underway, this artist’s new song could be the new Christmas ballad you never knew you needed. It’s not necessarily the upbeat song you may be used to, but it’s still powerful on its own.

This is the final installment of her trio of claymation videos, this is a great finalé for her mini series.

Here’s the inimitable  with “Underneath The Mistletoe”:

Last, but certainly not least, there are certain Christmas carols that have become ubiquitous with the winter holiday season. One such song is “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The duet’s lyrics were originally written by Frank Loesser in 1944, but it grew in popularity in 1949 when it was featured in Neptune’s Daughter, where it later won the Oscar for Best Original Song. There’s no denying its ongoing connections to the Christmas season. And even though it’s more about the winter season than it’s about the Christmas holiday, it has since been adopted as one of Christmas’ most consistently-heard and consistently-sung jingles.

This Christmas, however, it hasn’t gotten quite as much love. In fact, it has gained a bit of controversy by people who are looking over the lyrics and finding the material objectionable, believing that the lyrics don’t suggest consent when it comes to what is implied inside the well-known tune. It is an argument that has only gotten more heated as the weather gets colder. But as the chilly holiday season draws nearer, the continued controversy hasn’t completely damaged the song’s sales, according to reports who claim that it is being purchased and streamed more since the cultural reassessment.

Back in 2014, Michael Bublé duetted with Idina Menzel on this song, but what was once considered to be a harmless, sway-along-to tune has since become something more sinister, seemingly. Bublé feels that although we need to be empathetic, censorship may be getting out of hand. He was quoted as saying:

“The song is dated. The times have changed and you have to change with them. At the same time, I think it starts to become very dangerous when you start talking about being that sensitive and outraged over everything.”

“There’s a lot of songs that I hear on the radio today that are sexist and they’re racist. Time to take a lot of songs off the radio?”

Without further ado, here’s the super cute video that features the awesome voices of Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé with “Baby It’s Cold Outside”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday, see you on the dance floor!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:   PhotobucketI have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and while our beloved Callie of JAmerican Spice is taking a break, our friend Michelle from Musings and Merriments with Michelle is helping out with hostess duties! And, for the month of November, our Honorary Conductor and Spotlight Dancer is me!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!

INTRODUCING OUR “SPOTLIGHT DANCER”:

Santa Claus



8 Comments

  1. Stacy,

    Great Christmas song playset today! Michael Buble is right about censorship and how overly sensitive some people (too many if you ask me) are over an innocent classic Christmas tune like “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. Anyone who’s that easily offended need to take a chill-pill and just relax. You never hear from these same individuals how outraged they are by sexist, violent rap lyrics, do ya? Nope, never not a peep! They just want to cast a shadow on Christmas cheer and you know what, I say ba-hum-bug and I’m cranking up this song! lol

    I just can’t figure out where this month (or the year for that matter) has gone. Christmas is almost here. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season, dearie. Have the merriest Christmas yet! XO

  2. I’ve hard “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” hundreds of times, and I’ve never gotten the impression that it had anything to do with rape. I think the problem is not with the song, but with people who think like that. Like Michael Buble said, yes, it’s a dated song, but to ban it? Why that and not “you a ho, you a ho, you a ho”? There’s a reason people play “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” out every Christmas: it’s a classic, a seasonal standard. Some people want to take the fun out of everything. They’re not “woke,” they’re sick…

    Anyway, sorry for the rant. Great set here!

  3. My Sweetie is also scared of heights, that’s why i’m the one who has to get on the roof and clean the gutters.

    Great music, my blues are melting away.

  4. I bet your home is lovely!
    I want to do my home up and haven’t started as yet.

    Love the music and I do not like that they are messing with Baby it’s cold outside. I love that song!

    Merry Christmas to you Stacy!

  5. Two cute videos here, both new to me – Serena Ryder and the Baby It’s Cold Outside. It is sad that “Baby” got caught up in controversy. I also have trouble with works from the past being judged by modern standards, like those who try to censor Huckleberry Finn because it uses a particular word. (totally forgetting the lessons that Tom and Huck learned from…well, a rant for another day.) Maybe the people who object to “Baby” need to look inside their own minds and judge their own behavior instead of picking on an old standard. Merry Christmas to you, Stacy.

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