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"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her second Christmas album and thirteenth studio album, Merry Christmas II You. The song was released as the fourth promotional single from the album in December 2012 by Island Def Jam Records. The song was later included on the Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You soundtrack in 2017 and on Merry Christmas (Deluxe Anniversary Edition) in 2019.

Background and release[]

"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" was first officially mentioned on October 8, 2010, the same day the Merry Christmas II You track listing was announced. On October 21, 2010, Carey held a listening party at the Allen Room at Jazz at the Lincoln Center, where several tracks from the album were played, including "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again," which was described as "lush and gorgeous" by Showbiz411[1] and a "slow, sultry and understated number" by JustJared.[2]

On November 26, 2012, Carey announced on Twitter that "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" would be released as a promotional single.[3]

Composition[]

"Christmas Time is in the Air Again" marks Carey and Broadway composer Marc Shaiman's first collaboration. Carey's breathy vocals are backed by a string section, complemented by an upright bass, an acoustic guitar, bell and chime embellishments, as well as woodwinds and percussion. Set in the key of D♭ major and modulating to D major after the bridge, the song has a "slow" feel and a tempo of 50 bpm. Carey's voice spans just short of two octaves from F♯3 to E5.

Lyrically, the track is about falling in love during the Christmas season. Carey references both The Grinch from the 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, as well as Ebenezer "Old" Scrooge, the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novel A Christmas Carol.

Critical reception[]

Following the album's release in 2010, Rich Juzwiak from The Village Voice described "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" as "exquisite," adding that it was "the only track that approaches the magic of her previous hit 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.'" He continued to write that it is "a sweeping big-band ballad that you'd swear was a cover from some Judy Garland movie you didn't pay that much attention to once."[4] BBC critic Mike Diver felt that, despite the effect being "less instant" compared to "Oh Santa!", it was a "perfectly formed" number that "[complemented] the surrounding content well."[5] Rolling Stone's Caryn Ganz described the orchestration of both original compositions "One Child" and "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" as "overwhelmingly Christmasy".[6]

As the song got a single release in late 2012, Entertainment Focus writer Pip Ellwood praised the song's composition for its "classy, soulful and sumptuous" feel, labelling it as "yet another festive classic from the Queen of Christmas". Ellwood concluded his review by writing that the release of the song two years after that of Merry Christmas II You should "get it some more well-deserved attention".[7]

Cover art[]

The song's cover art was revealed by Carey on Twitter on November 26, 2012 and consists of a picture from the Merry Christmas II You photo shoot where Carey, wearing a red silk robe, sits on green satin pillows in front of a lit fireplace and smiles as she looks at the camera. The picture is bordered by a beige circular vignette, while Carey's head appears to pop out of said vignette.[3]

Lyric video[]

A lyric video for "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" was posted on Carey's YouTube channel on December 14, 2012. As Carey's vocals play, the lyrics of the song are intercut with Christmas-themed illustrations.

Live performances[]

"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" was first performed live on November 6, 2010 at the taping of Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. The special aired on ABC on December 13, 2010.

On November 27, 2012, Carey performed the song, as well as "All I Want for Christmas Is You," at the annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center telecast, which aired the following day.

Carey performed both songs again at the taping of Michael Bublé's 3rd Annual Christmas Special on November 25, 2013, aired on NBC on December 18, 2013.

The song was also part of the setlist for Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You concerts, from 2014 to 2019, except on December 8, 2016, as it was replaced by a performance of "The Christmas Song." On December 17, 2016, Jussie Smollet joined Carey on stage to perform the song.

On November 23, 2015, Carey performed "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" with Babyface in an intimate performance at Beacher's Madhouse at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The show was taped and aired on Hallmark Channel on December 18, 2015 as part of Mariah Carey's Merriest Christmas.

Carey performed the song, as well as "Oh Santa!" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" on The Late Late Show with James Corden on December 4, 2019, to promote Merry Christmas (Deluxe Anniversary Edition). The performance of "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" aired on December 18, 2019.

The song also made the setlist for Merry Christmas to All! in 2022, Merry Christmas One and All! in 2023 and Mariah Carey's Christmas Time in 2024, being performed on every date and appearing on Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!, taped at Madison Square Garden on December 13 and 16, 2022 and aired on December 20, 2022.

Credits and personnel[]

  • Arrangement – Marc Shaiman
  • Assistant mixing engineer – Damien Lewis
  • Assistant recording engineers – Kenta Yonesaka, Alex Guapera, Charlie Paakkari, Tim Lauber, Tom Steel, Greg Dennon, Denis St. Amand
  • Concertmaster – Ralph Morrison
  • Drums – Victor Indrizzo
  • Guitar – George Doering
  • Mixing – Phil Tan
  • Orchestra contractor – Shari Suttcliffe
  • Orchestration – Marc Shaiman
  • Piano – Marc Shaiman
  • Percussion – Luis Conte
  • Production – Mariah Carey, Marc Shaiman
  • Recording engineers – Brian Garten, Brett "Snacky" Pierce, John Richards, Scott Riesett
  • Songwriting – Marc Shaiman, Mariah Carey
  • Upright Bass – Mike Valerio

Magical Christmas Mix[]

"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" was re-recorded and re-imagined for Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special in 2020. This version, dubbed the "Magical Christmas Mix" was included in the special's accompanying soundtrack album, released through Sony Music and Legacy Recordings on December 4, 2020.

In 2024, the "Magical Christmas Mix" of "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" saw a physical release for the first time, as it was included in the limited 30th anniversary edition CD single of "All I Want for Christmas Is You," released as part of the #MerryChristmas30 celebration.

Composition[]

The "Magical Christmas Mix" of "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" features re-recorded instrumentation, albeit transposed to a lower key to match the song's live arrangement; it's is now performed in the key of C major and modulates to D♭ major. A new trumpet line was recorded for the song, recreated from its live arrangement at All I Want for Christmas Is You: A Night of Joy and Festivity.

Much like the other songs from Magical Christmas, Carey worked with her tour band to recreate "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" from scratch.

Credits and personnel[]

  • Arrangement – Marc Shaiman
  • Assistant engineer – Matt Tuggle
  • Bass – Lance Tolbert
  • Drums – Josh Baker
  • Guitar – Tim Stewart
  • Orchestration – Brad Dechter, Douglas Romayne, Marc Shaiman
  • Production – Mariah Carey, Daniel Moore II, Frank Wolf, Marc Shaiman, Scott M. Riesett
  • Piano – Daniel Moore II
  • Recording engineers – Brian Garten, Jamie Sikoya
  • Songwriting – Marc Shaiman, Mariah Carey
  • Trumpet – Derrieux Edgecombe

Lyrics[]

Christmas time is in the air again
Christmas chimes reminding me of when
We fell like the snow
So deep in love
High above us the evergreens
Sparkle with lights
And filled the breeze
As we made future Christmas memories

Christmas shoppers glance at us and smile
Cause the mistletoe is occupied
And the dream is to share
This Christmas cheer
With you all year
And not wait til the moment when
Christmas time is in the air again

Mean Mister Grinch simply can't resist
Warming up when he looks our way
Even Old Scrooge makes a Christmas wish
For a honey to hold Christmas day
And to feel love like ours always

La dat da
Dat da da dum

And the dream is to share
This Christmas cheer
With you all throughout the year
And not wait til the moment when
Christmas time is in the air
Christmas time is everywhere
Christmas time is in the air again

Again
And again

References[]

  1. Friedman, Roger. (2010, October 21). Mariah Carey, Glowing, Launches New Xmas Album with Mom as Special Guest. Showbiz411. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  2. Just Jared. (2010, October 21). Mariah Carey: "Merry Christmas II You" album preview. Mariah Carey Archives. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Mariah Carey [@MariahCarey]. (2012, November 26). Christmas Time Is In The Air Again!! Download on iTunes http://smarturl.it/MCIIYou & Amazon http://smarturl.it/MCiIIYouAmz XO!! [Tweet]. Twitter. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  4. Juzwiak, Rick. (2010, November 10). On Mariah Carey’s Agreeably Bizarre Yuletide Sequel Merry Christmas II You. The Village Voice. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  5. Diver, Mike. (2010). Mariah Carey Merry Christmas II You Review. BBC. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  6. Ganz, Caryn. (2010, November 1). Merry Christmas II You. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  7. Ellwood, Pip. (2012, December 12). Mariah Carey – Christmas Time Is In The Air Again single review. Entertainment Focus. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
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