"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is a song by American singer
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
from her fourth studio album
of the same name (2017). It features guest vocals from her then-boyfriend,
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
. The song was written by Stefani,
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Frequently co-writing with Julia Michaels, Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Selena ...
, Shelton and
busbee
Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...
, while production was handled by busbee and
Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Tak ...
. It was recorded during the summer months, with the song title leaking in August 2017. The song was eventually released for
digital download and
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from the album by
Interscope
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Musi ...
on September 22, 2017. It was influenced by popular holiday music from Stefani's childhood and marks Stefani and Shelton's second collaboration following their duet "
Go Ahead and Break My Heart
"Go Ahead and Break My Heart" is a song that was written and recorded by American singers Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani for the former's tenth studio album, ''If I'm Honest'' (2016). Shelton's longtime producer Scott Hendricks produced the trac ...
" in 2016. A
Christmas track, the song includes
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
and
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
elements, with lyrics describing a romantic holiday season.
"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" received positive to mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Some believed that the song was successful lyrically and would ultimately become a modern Christmas classic, while other critics found it inferior to the rest of ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas''. In the United States, the song failed to enter the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and instead peaked at number two on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
extension chart. It reached the top 10 of the
Adult Contemporary charts for both Canada and the US. In countries such as Germany and Switzerland, it became Stefani's first track to chart in years. On the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, it served as her first solo top 100 single since 2007 and has sold 200,000 copies as of December 2022. In 2020, the single was certified Gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) in the US.
The accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
was directed by long-time Stefani collaborator
Sophie Muller
Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 ''Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's son ...
and released in November 2018. It features scenes of Stefani and Shelton partaking in various holiday-themed activities interspersed with ones of the two performing the song, accompanied by a big band and children dancers. Stefani's looks in the video were described as reminiscent of American actress
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
. The song has been performed on various television series, such as ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'', ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden
''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28am ...
'' and ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', as well as on the 2017 American holiday special ''
Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas
''Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' is a Christmas television special that aired on December 12, 2017, in the United States on NBC.
Production
On October 6, 2017, Stefani released her fourth studio album, ''You Make It Feel Like C ...
''.
Background and release
![Justin Tranter at LoveLoud 2018 (43553462424)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Justin_Tranter_at_LoveLoud_2018_%2843553462424%29.jpg)
After the release of Stefani's third solo album, ''
This Is What the Truth Feels Like
''This Is What the Truth Feels Like'' is the third studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on March 18, 2016, by Interscope Records. Initially, the album was scheduled to be released in December 2014 with Stefani working wit ...
'' (2016), she announced her plans to release new music by the end of 2017 in July of that year.
Besides the announcement, she had no further details. Following a nature walk that occurred at Shelton's residential estate in
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, Stefani felt inspired to write
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...
and began work on a track that later became "
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
". The material created for ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' was recorded during the summer months of 2017, after Stefani scheduled joint studio and songwriting sessions with
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Frequently co-writing with Julia Michaels, Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Selena ...
and
busbee
Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...
. The latter of the three collaborated with Stefani following a suggestion from Shelton that she would work well with him. Stefani was pressured to create a holiday album by busbee that was "raw and punk and sort of classical at the same time"; accordingly, Stefani listened to the favorite holiday albums of her childhood, such as
Vince Guaraldi
Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...
's ''
A Charlie Brown Christmas
''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' is a 1965 animated television special. It is the first TV special based on the comic strip ''Peanuts'', by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the program made its debut on C ...
'' (1965) and
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...
's ''
Light of the Stable
''Light of the Stable'' is a Christmas album by Emmylou Harris. It was originally released in 1979 by Warner Bros. Records but has since gone through several intervening releases. The 1992 Warner release was a remastered version of the original ...
'' (1979), for inspiration.
On August 2, 2017, the titles of several unreleased tracks from Stefani, including "Christmas Eve", "
My Gift Is You
"My Gift Is You" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani for her fourth studio album, ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' (2017). It was released digitally on October 6, 2017, along with the rest of the parent album, t ...
", "
Under the Christmas Lights
"Under the Christmas Lights" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani for her fourth studio album, ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' (2017). It was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, and busbee, who co-produced the son ...
" and "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", first leaked onto the internet when they appeared as published works on
BMI and
GEMA, American and German
music databases
Below is a table of online music databases that are largely free of charge. Note that many of the sites provide a specialized service or focus on a particular music genre. Some of these operate as an online music store or purchase referral servi ...
, respectively.
Because of the titles,
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
suggested that Stefani may have been recording a holiday album, due for release in 2017.
On September 18 that year, the singer took to her social media accounts and claimed that she "had something big planned for the holidays", and would release more information in the near future. The next day, Stefani revealed that she had recorded a Christmas album, confirming its title as ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', and stating that the title track would be released as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
.
It was written by Stefani,
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Frequently co-writing with Julia Michaels, Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Selena ...
, Shelton and busbee, while production was handled by busbee and
Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Tak ...
.
"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" was sent to music distributors such as
Amazon Music
Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights man ...
for
digital download and
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
on September 22, 2017 through
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
.
It was ultimately serviced to
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
radio stations by Interscope in several countries including the United States, except in Italy where the
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
released Stefani's cover of "
Santa Baby
"Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René, Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer i ...
" as the lead single instead.
Alongside the release included two unique
promotional CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
s; one was distributed to United Kingdom radio stations by Interscope Records while another, serviced through
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
and Universal Music Group, was sent out for French airplay rotation.
In Russia, the song was released to
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
stations on September 25, 2017.
Composition and lyrics
Musically, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is an infectious and
upbeat
Up beat may refer to:
*Upbeat, in music, the last beat in the previous bar which immediately precedes the downbeat
*Anacrusis, a note (or sequence of notes) which precedes the first downbeat in a bar in a musical phrase
* ''Upbeat'' (album), by t ...
country pop
Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
Christmas song with romantic lyrics.
Megan Armstrong from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' described the song as a blend of both Stefani and Shelton's signature styles, incorporating elements from both the
pop and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
genres, although she felt it emphasized the former more than the latter.
Labelling it a "bouncy duet",
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
noted that the song contains a "
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
beat" and pays homage to the past.
Echoing the view that the song has an older vibe,
Noisey
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
's Alex Robert Ross called the duet "an upbeat, old-timey, country-esque
Yule
Yule, actually Yuletide ("Yule time") is a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better-known Christmastide. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indig ...
tide song".
Furthermore, Michael Bialas from ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' used "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" to characterize Stefani's career as heading into a country music direction.
According to Musicnotes.com, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is set in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
and has a moderate "bright swing"
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 93 beats per minute.
The key of the song is in
C major
C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...
, with Stefani's vocal range spanning nearly an entire
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
, from C
3 to E
5 in
scientific pitch notation
Scientific pitch notation (SPN), also known as American standard pitch notation (ASPN) and international pitch notation (IPN), is a method of specifying musical Pitch (music), pitch by combining a musical Note (music), note name (with accidental ...
.
Throughout the song's three verses, the vocal range advances in the chord progressions of C–G–B–Am.
The song was
engineered
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specializ ...
by Valentine and
mixed by Dave Clauss. Jonathan Sterling served as assistant engineer whereas busbee and Dave Way were lead vocals engineers, with assistance from Peter Chun. Erica Canales, Laura Mace, Monet Owens, and Dolly Sparks provided background vocals for the track, with arrangements from Grace Potter.
The first verse is performed by Shelton, who sings, "I wanna thank the storm that brought the snow / Thanks to the string of lights that make it glow".
According to ''
E! News
''E! News'', previously known as ''E! News Daily'' and ''E! News Live'', is the entertainment news operation for the cable network E! in the United States. Its former on-air weekday newscast debuted on September 1, 1991, and primarily reports ...
''s Cydney Contreras, Stefani "joyously sings about how she thought she 'was done for
ndthought that love had died'"; however, she disregards her assumptions after being romantically involved with Shelton, who helps make it "feel like
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
".
The couple discuss love and name-drop holiday-themed items, such as snow and "sweet
gingerbread
Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as ...
made with
molasses
Molasses () is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods ...
", within the lyrics.
Critical reception
Allan Raible from
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
admired the song's retro charm, calling it an asset. Regarding Shelton's feature, he wrote: "This is Shelton being welcomed into Stefani’s world and not sounding out of place."
Randy Lewis of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' enjoyed the collaboration, writing that it is "sweetly romantic" and an obvious inclusion on ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' due to the highly publicized relationship.
Rob Copsey, an editor for the
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
, appreciated Stefani's decision to emphasize the importance of family in the song. He described the song as a modern classic and said: "There's just the right amount of
schmaltz
Schmaltz (also spelled schmalz or shmalz) is rendered (clarified) chicken or goose fat. It is an integral part of traditional Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, where it has been used for centuries in a wide array of dishes, such as chicken soup, lat ...
and country-pop festive cheer, so expect to see this reappear in the coming years."
Mike Nied from
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
was similarly positive, suggesting that it "may have something that will live up to
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
’s defining classic '
All I Want For Christmas Is You'" from 1994.
Ross was critical of the single's release date in September, several months before Christmas Day. As one of the subjects for his 2017 article titled "Christmas Songs? In September? Really?", the song was described as "almost quite fun if you live somewhere unnaturally cold during the fall".
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''s Chris Willman considered the original songs on ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' to be superior to her covers; however, he used "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" as evidence that Shelton and Stefani should keep "their careers separate".
Quite oppositely, while David Smyth from ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' was positive about the album in general, he considered the song to be less memorable than Stefani's covers of Christmas standards.
Commercial performance
![Walk the Moon Fonda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Walk_the_Moon_Fonda.jpg)
In the US, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" narrowly missed entering the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Instead, it reached the US
Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart, which serves as an extension to the Hot 100, cataloging the songs that have not yet charted on the main ranking. The song entered at number 11 for the issue date of December 23, 2017.
The following week it peaked at number two and was blocked from the top spot by
Walk the Moon
Walk the Moon (stylized as WALK THE MOON) is an American Rock music, rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lead singer Nicholas Petricca started the band in 2006, while a student at Kenyon College, deriving the band's name from the song "Walki ...
's 2017 single "
One Foot".
The song lasted for four weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.
Fueled by strong download sales, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" peaked at number 37 in 2017 on the US
Digital Song Sales
The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally start ...
chart and number 3 on the corresponding Holiday Digital Song Sales component chart.
Of Stefani's five top 10 hits on the latter chart, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" reached the highest peak.
The song re-entered the Digital Song Sales chart in 2020, when it reached a new peak at number 35.
Following the single's release to adult contemporary radio playlists in 2017, the single reached number nine on ''Billboard''s
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
chart, becoming the singer's second top 10 track as a solo artist and highest entry since "
The Sweet Escape
''The Sweet Escape'' is the second studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on December 1, 2006, by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her debut solo album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby. ...
" peaked at number three in 2007.
The former also entered the seasonal US
Holiday 100
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
airplay chart, peaking at number 37.
On December 10, 2020, the single was awarded a Gold certification from the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, signifying 500,000
track-equivalent units.
On Canadian charts, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" reached number 26 on the country's main digital sales chart in 2017.
It spent five non-consecutive weeks on the chart, with its last appearance on the chart occurring in 2020, when it peaked at number 24.
It also reached airplay charts for Canada: the Adult Contemporary and
Hot Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
charts, where the song peaked at numbers 2 and 31, respectively.
On the former chart, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" became Stefani's most successful solo entry, surpassing "The Sweet Escape" that had previously reached number three.
The following year, during the 2018 holiday season, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" also entered the recurrent Adult Contemporary chart in Canada due to heavy airplay.
Outside of North America, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" reached the charts in many European countries. In Switzerland, the song became Stefani's first chart entry as a solo artist since 2007's "
Early Winter
"Early Winter" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, '' The Sweet Escape'' (2006). Written by Stefani and English pianist Tim Rice-Oxley, the song was released in Europe as the album's fifth and final sing ...
". It entered at number 80 in 2017 and ultimately peaked at number 62 in 2018; the song spent two weeks in total on the
Swiss Hitparade
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* Singles Top ...
chart.
Similar performance was attained in Germany, where "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" reached number 55, becoming the singer's first entry since her comeback single "
Baby Don't Lie
"Baby Don't Lie" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani. Written by Stefani, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco and Noel Zancanella, and produced by Tedder and Blanco, "Baby Don't Lie" is a midtempo electropop and reggae-pop tr ...
" in 2014.
In the UK, the single debuted at number 100 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
for the chart dated December 22, 2017, serving as Stefani's first solo top 100 hit since "
Now That You Got It
"Now That You Got It" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, ''The Sweet Escape'' (2006). Stefani co-wrote the song with its producers Sean Garrett and Swizz Beatz. "Now That You Got It" is a ...
" with
Damian Marley
Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards.
Early life, education and family
Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...
in 2007.
In 2017, the former reached number 98, but during the holiday season in 2018, it re-entered the chart and peaked at number 71 for the week ending December 28, 2018.
By December 7 of that year, the song had sold 33,500 copies in the UK.
In 2019, the sales total for "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" increased to 66,000 copies, and it was certified Silver by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) in December 2022 for sales and streams exceeding 200,000 units.
On the
Scottish Singles Chart
The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...
, compiled by Official Charts Company, the single peaked at number 57.
Elsewhere in Europe, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" peaked on the airplay charts in Belgium, Poland, and Slovakia at numbers 31, 43 and 33, respectively.
Music video
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" was shot over the course of one day during late 2018.
It was directed by long-time Stefani collaborator
Sophie Muller
Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 ''Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's son ...
, who had previously directed the music videos for "
Don't Speak
"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their third studio album, ''Tragic Kingdom'' (1995). It was released as the third single from ''Tragic Kingdom'' in the United States on April 15, 1996, by Interscope Records. Lead sin ...
" (1996), "
Cool
Cool commonly refers to:
* Cool, a moderately low temperature
* Cool (aesthetic), an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, and style
Cool or COOL may also refer to:
Economics
* Country of origin labelling
* mCOOL - US consumer legislation to enforc ...
" (2005) and "
Spark the Fire" (2014), among others.
The primary source of inspiration for the clip was the 1957
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
''
Pal Joey'', which Stefani and Shelton had watched together during a date night.
After production was completed and prior to the clip's release, Shelton tweeted that the style of the latter reminded him of the 1950s American sitcom ''
I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
''.
Stefani was grateful for the shoot and considered the final product Shelton's Christmas gift to her, citing his dislike of filming music videos.
Stefani first hinted of the video's release on November 18, 2018, uploading a series of stills from the final video to her various social media accounts, such as
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
. In particular, one of the photos depicted Stefani preparing a holiday feast alongside Shelton and included the song's lyric "We're gonna be a classic for all time..." as the caption.
She later confirmed that the music video would be released on November 22, 2018 and was directed by Muller.
On the scheduled date, it was uploaded to her official
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
account on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
.
The video opens with Stefani and Shelton driving in a retro convertible as snow falls. While transporting a
Christmas tree
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
in the car, Shelton becomes disrupted by a
swarm
Swarm behaviour, or swarming, is a collective behaviour exhibited by entities, particularly animals, of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving ''en masse'' or migrating in some direction. ...
of bees that Stefani attempts to shoo away.
Another scene depicts the couple in an
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
l hall setting, with a big backing band and a group of children dancers dressed as
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
, and the people cause Shelton to become surprised. He wears a tuxedo and Stefani sports a silver flashy and "
ritzy
''Ritzy'' is a lost 1927 American comedy silent film directed by Richard Rosson and written by Elinor Glyn, Percy Heath, Robert N. Lee and George Marion, Jr. The film stars Betty Bronson, James Hall, William Austin, Joan Standing, George N ...
" dress, with her look in the segment being compared to American actress
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
.
The succeeding scene shows the couple building snowmen in a forest, with Shelton's resembling the traditional variety and Stefani's replicating the appearance of
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
's ''
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
''.
They are again joined by the backing band and dancing children, who perform their choreography and circle Stefani and Shelton as the couple sing. A living room setting features Stefani magically decorating the interior and entrapping Shelton with a string of
Christmas lights
Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom goe ...
. As Stefani cuddles with and embraces Shelton, he uses a handheld
nutcracker
A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells.
A decorative version portrays a person w ...
to open a shelled chestnut without luck. Another scene demonstrates Stefani adding the finishing touches to a holiday feast and reprimanding Shelton for attempting to eat prematurely. Following the video fading to black, bonus scenes show Stefani and Shelton engaging in a
food fight
A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which foodstuffs are thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made nor meant to harm others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food t ...
, the latter losing control of the vehicle during a snowstorm, and Stefani attempting to woo Santa, much to the dismay of Shelton.
Alongside the release of the music video, the paid download was available for purchase via
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
on November 22, 2018.
A behind-the-scenes clip documenting the filming and production of the video was published to Stefani's main YouTube channel on December 7, 2018.
Idolator's Mike Wass was impressed by the visual, writing: "Calling Gwen & Blake's video adorable is a serious understatement
..It’s as irreverent, cheeky and feel-good as the song."
Multiple critics considered Stefani to be channeling Monroe in the clip. Wass wrote: "This nostalgic clip throws it back to the 1950s with
tefaniserving full Marilyn Monroe glamour" while
UPI
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
's Annie Martin claimed that in the big band scene, Stefani wears a "retro-inspired look
..reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe".
Live performances
On December 4, 2017, Stefani and Shelton appeared on ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', where they performed "You Make It Feel Like Christmas". The former wore a festive sheer and flower-inspired dress, and ended the performance with a kiss from Shelton. Randee Dawn from ''
Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'' spoke positively of the act, calling it festive and "a major high point for the pair".
On Stefani's
holiday special for
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
, titled ''
Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas
''Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' is a Christmas television special that aired on December 12, 2017, in the United States on NBC.
Production
On October 6, 2017, Stefani released her fourth studio album, ''You Make It Feel Like C ...
'', she performed various songs from the album as part of her set list, including "You Make It Feel Like Christmas".
Stefani was joined by Shelton when performing the track and she wore a matching
plaid
Plaid () may refer to:
Fabric
* Full plaid, a cloth made with a tartan pattern, wrapped around the waist, cast over the shoulder and fastened at the front
* A synonym for tartan in North America
* A plaid shirt, typically of flannel and worn du ...
top and
slitted-skirt. ''
Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
''s Emily Krauser opined that Stefani's "real
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
sensibilities came out" during the performance.
During the 2018 holiday season, Stefani served as a guest on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' and performed both "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", and a duet cover of "
Feliz Navidad" with Chilean singer
Mon Laferte
Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte (born 2 May 1983) is a Chilean musician, singer, composer and painter. She is known for her musical versatility, having composed songs in a wide variety of genres such as pop, rock, bolero, cumbia and salsa. In ...
. For the former's appearance, she wore a "white gown
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
embellished polka dots on sheer material" and was accompanied by a group of four backup dancers, dressed in
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
clothing.
The performance was eventually uploaded to her Vevo account on December 8, 2018.
She also appeared on the December 19, 2018 episode of ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden
''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28am ...
'' to perform the track. The performance was praised by
AXS contributor Kareem Gantt, who wrote that "Stefani brought the house down, and it gave the 'Corden' set a festive, yule-time feel that is sorely needed right now".
For the
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
broadcast of
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'', Stefani performed a condensed version of the song during the
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
-sponsored
halftime show
A halftime show is a performance given during the brief period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of div ...
. It was broadcast in black and white and uploaded to Stefani's YouTube account that same day.
At the 87th annual
Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony in 2019, Stefani served as a featured performer alongside fellow ''The Voice'' judge and American singer
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...
.
Her performance occurred on November 14, 2019, and Stefani began with "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" and closed with her cover of the Christmas standard "
White Christmas".
According to Heran Mamo of ''Billboard'', she wore "a sheer black long-sleeve with a pearl-embellished red and gold shimmering front, black sequined hot pants, black fishnet leggings and black leather knee-high boots".
Her segment was recorded and later broadcast via NBC on December 4, 2019.
Radio station
WRMF
WRMF (97.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Palm Beach, Florida. It serves the West Palm Beach, Florida radio market. The station airs a hot adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Hubbard Radio. The studios and offices are ...
reported that the performance was likely prerecorded due to her prior commitment to be available for ''The Voice''.
Cover versions and usage in media
For a seasonal promotional campaign of the American motor company
Ram Trucks
Ram Trucks, stylized as RAM and formerly known as the Ram Truck Division (of Chrysler), is an American brand of light to mid-weight trucks and other commercial vehicles, and a division of Stellantis (previously Fiat Chrysler Automobiles). It was ...
in December 2018, the single was used in television commercials to advertise the new
Ram 1500 pickup truck.
Additionally, American record label
Power Music remade "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" as a
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
called the "Workout Remix", and released it to their Apple Music profile on November 6, 2020.
On December 16, 2020, ''The Voice'' contestant
Carter Rubin
Carter Rubin (born October 11, 2005) is an American pop singer. He is the winner of season 19 of the American talent competition ''The Voice'' at the age of 15. He has the distinction of being the youngest male winner & the 2nd youngest winne ...
performed "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" with Stefani during the
season 19 finale. Their version appears on his first
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. , ''The Season 19 Collection'', a compilation of select performances from the series. It was released for digital download and streaming in the US and Canada, through
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
.
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Song
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas''.
* Gwen Stefanilead vocals, writer
* Blake Sheltonfeatured vocals, writer
* Justin Tranterwriter
* busbeewriter, production, trombone
* Eric Valentineproduction
* Sean Hurleybass
* Ryan Dragonbass trombone, trombone
* Erica Canalesbackground vocals
* Laura Macebackground vocals
* Monet Owensbackground vocals
* Dolly Sparksbackground vocals
* Patrick Warrenceleste, piano
* Aaron Sterlingdrums
* Greg Campelectric guitar
* John Storieelectric guitar
* Matt Mustypercussion, timpani
* Stewart Coletrumpet
* Jamie Hovorkatrumpet
Music video
Credits adapted from Stefani's YouTube account.
* Sophie Mullerdirector
* Grant Jueproducer
Charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
*
List of best-selling Christmas singles in the United States
This page shows the best-selling Christmas singles in the United States. It includes artists from around the world, but it only reflects sales in the United States. According to the ''Guinness Book of World Records'', " White Christmas" by Bing Cr ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2017 singles
2017 songs
American Christmas songs
Blake Shelton songs
Country pop songs
Gwen Stefani songs
Interscope Records singles
Male–female vocal duets
Music videos directed by Sophie Muller
Song recordings produced by busbee
Songs written by Blake Shelton
Songs written by busbee
Songs written by Gwen Stefani
Songs written by Justin Tranter