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Olivia Rodrigo, the renowned pop sensation, unveiled her debut Christmas single on Thursday night, accompanied by a spirited music video featuring Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City. The new festive tune, titled *Take Me Home (4 Christmas)*, centers around Rodrigo’s plea to her boyfriend to demonstrate his genuine commitment by inviting her to spend the holidays at his family’s home.
Upon its release, listeners quickly noticed echoes of The Waitresses’ 1981 holiday classic *Christmas Wrapping* embedded within the song—a similarity that was intentionally crafted. Chris Butler, the songwriter behind the original track, shared on Facebook that Rodrigo had reached out to him beforehand to obtain permission. He also commended her songwriting skills, describing her work as “phenomenal.” Butler recounted how he initially doubted the authenticity of the email, having never heard of Rodrigo, but after discovering her impressive career and advocacy for female musicianship and control over her music masters, he became an admirer.
In his Facebook post, Butler expressed warm sentiments toward Rodrigo, praising not only her lyrical depth and sincerity but also the arrangement of her music, stating, “I like that your lyrics are intense, real, and poetic. I like that you ‘got’ my songwriting, and that you like our band.” Although *Take Me Home (4 Christmas)* clearly reflects the new wave and post-punk style of The Waitresses, Butler does not receive a songwriting credit since the song does not directly sample or interpolate his original composition. Rodrigo revealed on social media that she created the track last summer together with her longtime collaborator Dan Nigro and Amy Allen, who has worked with artists like Harry Styles and Tate McCrae.
Rodrigo’s Christmas video is filled with festive charm, highlighted by SNL’s Ben Marshall as her irresponsible boyfriend and Cynthia Nixon portraying the role of her potential mother-in-law. This release arrives alongside multiple other Christmas songs vying for seasonal attention. Among them, Sam Fender has produced a cover of the Rolling Stones’ *You Can’t Always Get What You Want* for the John Lewis Christmas campaign, CMAT has teamed up with Elton John on a country-inspired rendition of *Step Into Christmas*, and artists like Alanis Morissette and Sufjan Stevens have introduced new holiday albums.
Additionally, Nile Rodgers and Rebecca Ferguson joined forces for a version of *The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)*, though they faced criticism for utilizing AI in the music video. Kate Nash contributed with a track named *Christmas Eve*, narrating the night her grandparents met in Dublin. Despite this fresh batch of festive tunes, all new releases must compete with perennial favorites such as Wham!’s *Last Christmas* and Mariah Carey’s *All I Want For Christmas Is You*, which consistently dominate the holiday charts. Both classics entered the UK’s Spotify top 10 earlier this year than in previous years. Notably, Wham! claimed the Christmas number one spot in both 2023 and 2024, a feat that may be bolstered again as fans commemorate the tenth anniversary of George Michael’s passing. Last year, Kylie Minogue’s *XMAS* was the chart-topping holiday track
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