The 9th Anniversary of Christmas & Chill
As of today, it’s the 9th anniversary of Christmas & Chill, Ariana Grande’s second holiday EP. Released on December 18th, 2015, it was a great day for Arianators and Ariana Grande fans alike.
In honor of its anniversary, I’ll be reviewing the EP in its entirety, including track-by-track reviews and a proper ranking. If you’ve read my Short ‘n Sweet review, you’re already familiar with the formatting of these posts. And if not, go read it. Like right now.
About Christmas & Chill
Christmas & Chill was released through Republic Records, home to some of the biggest stars in music. Republic Records consistently produces incredible artists with even more incredible music, and Christmas & Chill is no exception. The EP has six tracks, each with obvious festive themes and hints of pop and R&B elements.
The EP followed Grande’s first-holiday music EP, Christmas Kisses, released two years prior on December 13, 2013. In between that time, Grande released the 2014 holiday single Santa Tell Me. The song quickly became a Christmas classic, reentering the charts every holiday season for the past 10 years. Less than a year into her music career, she was already making big moves.
Source Billboard.
Charts aside, all of Grande’s holiday-themed music is amazing. In fact, her entire discography is amazing. I’ve been a fan of her for years—I grew up on her music. So, my appreciation for her discography goes beyond words. But today, we’re focusing on Christmas & Chill, my personal favorite holiday project from her.
Christmas & Chill Individual Song Reviews
I beg you, take the star ratings with a grain of salt. Solely for aesthetic purposes.
Intro
In total, Ariana Grande has three songs called Intro, and while this isn’t my favorite, it’s a great song. It’s very short, with a runtime of 1 minute and 5 seconds, but still very, very good. She sets the tone of the EP by welcoming us ‘to this Christmas, only comes one time a year.‘ She sings briefly over a heavily R&B-inspired tune, mentioning how this EP is one we won’t want to miss. And she’s right!
Wit It This Christmas
I’ve loved this song since its release, but recently, it’s been hitting incredibly differently—and that’s not just due to the holiday spirit! According to my Last.fm stats, this is my most streamed song from the EP, and there’s no fault in that. Wit It This Christmas is just divine, and I may be overdoing it with the adjectives, but it had to be said.
The song is about having sex, to be frank. Grande has been quite sexually liberated throughout her music career, which I applaud her for. I really like the innuendos she uses in the song—it’s both clever and endearing. As usual, her vocals are out of this world, and I’m sure we can all agree that this is one of the best, if not the best, songs off of Christmas & Chill. Grande even named it as her personal favorite, and no one knows better than the artist herself.
December
In 2015-2016, December, without a doubt, my favorite song off the EP. I love the trap elements throughout the song, which make it very easy to groove to. She continues the theme of holiday canoodling (LOL) on this track, making it not the most child-friendly music for me to be streaming at the age of 9, but oh well.
The chorus is insanely catchy, like all of the songs on the Christmas & Chill. I also love the subtle imitation of jingle bells in the background, which really amplifies the holiday vibes—aside from the blatantly obvious Christmas-themed lyrics: ‘Merry Christmas, here I am, boy. Gonna love you, gonna give you all I can, boy, uh.’
Source Genius.
Not Just on Christmas
It wouldn’t be an Ariana Grande project without a slower, ballad-like song. Not Just on Christmas is a beautiful track where Grande sings that her love for her boyfriend has no bounds. The lyrics are akin to wedding vows as she devotes herself to her lover. This woman loves hard, and it’s evident in every piece of work she puts out. Overall, it’s a very sweet song, with flowy vocals that make you want to sway back and forth. Very, very romantic. She deserves heaps of flowers for this one.
True Love
Here we have True Love, which is objectively the best song on Christmas & Chill. Produced by TBHits (Tommy Brown), the R&B influence and vocal layering are incredible. Grande samples lyrics from 12 Days of Christmas, making it her own: ‘On that second day of Christmas, said you felt like something’s missing.’
It’s another romantic song, with devoted lyrics as she refers to her boyfriend as her “true love” throughout the track. The song almost makes you yearn for your own true love. It’s pure perfection. I don’t have much else to say but endless praise, so just give it a listen. Let the song do the talking.
Winter Things
This song reminds me of Can’t Stop Singing, a song from Teen Beach Movie (2013), which is completely owed to the ukulele played throughout. It’s such a cute song, one that you’d belt out around a campfire with those you love. Over the years, it’s become one of my favorites, and after one listen, you’ll surely see where I’m coming from.
The song is cozy, like a warm hug. Grande sings about experiencing winter in a warmer region, something she knows all too well as a Florida native who’s spent a good bit of her life in California. While the weather isn’t ideal, she doesn’t let the climate ruin her chance of spending a traditional winter with her “baby.” The lyrics are just adorable, the song is adorable. I just love it.
Overall Christmas & Chill EP Review
Christmas & Chill Track Ranking
- True Love
- Wit It This Christmas
- Winter Things
- December
- Intro
- Not Just on Christmas
Make your own ranking here!
My Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, Christmas & Chill is my favorite holiday project from her. The streaming stats I have for it even tie with some of her full-length albums, which is a testament to how much I adore this EP. I’ve loved it since I was a wee little one, and my appreciation for it continues to grow. It’s a 10 out of 10 project, and yes, I say this with a heavy bias.
Closing Remarks
I’ll wrap up this blog post here. These music review posts are both fun and easy to make, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I look forward to writing more, and I’m sure you can expect the music review in the early days of 2025. Merry Christmas or Happy Kwanzaa to all who celebrate, and have a holly jolly time! Thanks for sticking it out to the end—your reads are cherished in ways you cannot imagine. Thank you!
GIF credits to arianarunspop.
