Divas Do Christmas!
Two things about Christmas songs, mainly the religious ones: Not everybody can sing them and some people really shouldn’t. But when it comes to the two divas who can reach octaves as high as the Star of Bethlehem: Mariah and Christina – Let Them Sing! Let Them Sing! Let Them Sing!
Mariah Carey’s 1994 Merry Christmas is not a pop-filled album. The focus of this album is not the winter wonderlands, gifts, or the sleigh rides, but celebrating the birth of Jesus and being with the ones you love. Only three songs are poppy or non-religious: Miss You Most (At Christmas Time), Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and All I Want for Christmas is You. Of the three, the last is the best, and in true Mariah style!
She belts out the most difficult Christmas hymns quite beautifully – Hark The Herald Angels Sing, O Holy Night, and Silent Night, and the sleep in heavenly peace doesn’t sound awkward as it quite often does. She gives these and Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child very soulful renditions. A standout song for me is Joy To The World. Here she sings the traditional hymn and it seamlessly turns into Three Dog Night’s Joy To The World. So subtly, you might miss it!
She is accompanied by gospel singers on several songs, and her voice (in case there was a doubt) has volumes of soul, making Merry Christmas one of Mariah’s most solid albums, along with her self-titled debut and The Emancipation of Mimi. So, take a listen on iTunes, and for only $7.99 make it part of your collection this season!
Watch Mariah’s most powerful live performances here:
Adeli's Music Blog 
leave a comment