Underwood gets early jump on Christmas with album

BY ALY REIFF / VN STAFF WRITER

Throughout the summer of 2020 country singer Carrie Underwood, a former American Idol winner, put the finishing touches on her new Christmas album, “My Gift,” which came out Sept. 25.

In the past, Underwood has released holiday songs. But this is her first full Christmas album (and her seventh overall).

The album includes a collaboration with John Legend on a new song titled “Hallelujah” (not the Leonard Cohen song).

“He just brought some magic to this album and I’m very honored to have gotten to work on a song called ‘Hallelujah’ with him,” Underwood said of Legend.

Underwood also managed to sing with her five-year-old son, Isaiah Fisher.

Their collaboration was her favorite part on the album and something she said she will always cherish.

“That morning he came down in jeans and a button up shirt, and jeans for him is like a terrible day,” said Underwood in a video release. “But he said today, ‘I’m going to sing for Jesus so I want to look nice.’ That was something I thought was really sweet that he put a lot of thought into.”

Isaiah joined his mom recording the song “Little Drummer Boy,” which inspired the name of the album.

“The sentiment behind ‘Little Drummer Boy’ is so honest,” she said. “There is a little boy, and of course I think of my son Isaiah. They are bringing gifts to Jesus and the little boy doesn’t have anything because he is poor, but he says I know, I’m going to play my drum for him.”

 “I love music, I love singing, that is my personal gift that I have and am so blessed to get to do, and I want to use that gift to give it back to Jesus. That’s why I landed on ‘My Gift’ as the album title,” Underwood said in a video on her Facebook page.   

In an interview promoting her new album, Underwood said, “More than anything, musically, I really wanted ‘My Gift’ to just be beautiful, heartfelt and warm when people hear it. I just hope it puts people in the Christmas spirit and it brings them some joy and peace, and some hope for this Christmas season and for next years.”

“My Gift” has 11 tracks, including two new songs.  

Underwood put her own twist on six of the songs with the help of her producer and musical team.

She also offered traditional interpretations of five of those songs.

In a press statement Underwood said, “I’ve always wanted to make a Christmas album and it’s been a long time coming.”