Prime Cuts: Years, Merry Christmas, Valentine, Pure Imagination
Overall Grade: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Country-music icon Trisha Yearwood is getting into the holiday spirit in the grandest way possible with her new album, Christmastime, set for release on November 7, 2025, via Virgin Music Group and Gwendolyn Records. Produced by Grammy winner Don Was and featuring lush orchestral arrangements by David Campbell, the project finds Yearwood at her most elegant and emotionally resonant. It marks her first solo Christmas record since The Sweetest Gift (1994) and her first holiday project overall since her 2016 duet album Christmas Together with Garth Brooks.
The sound of Christmastime is lush and cinematic-its orchestration rich and sweeping, perfectly suited to the warmth and nostalgia of the season. The production recalls Yearwood's Let's Be Frank (2019), her Frank Sinatra-inspired album, with similar sophistication and vintage glamour. Each track feels wrapped in tinsel and velvet, evoking fireside comfort and the glow of holiday lights.
Highlights abound. The album opens with an orchestral reinvention of "Christmastime Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas, a delicate yet elaborate take that sparkles with Campbell's arranging genius. Yearwood then brings theatrical grandeur to "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, her performance brimming with wonder and sincerity. She shows her playful side with "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and infuses "My Favorite Things" with a lush, jazz-lounge elegance.
The record's original duet, "Merry Christmas, Valentine," co-written and performed with Brooks, stands tall among the standards. The jazzy melody and affectionate lyricism make it feel instantly classic, its warmth and wit capturing the easy chemistry that has long defined the couple's collaborations. The result is a song that feels both intimate and timeless-a love letter wrapped in ribbon and song.
Yearwood also offers a soulful, slow-burning version of Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," her voice gliding over bluesy chords and strings with both reverence and personality. Yet the album's emotional apex arrives with her breathtaking rendition of Beth Nielsen Chapman's "Years." Originally released on Chapman's 1990 self-titled album, "Years" unfolds as a quiet meditation on time, love, and memory-how relationships, once vivid, fade yet remain etched into the soul. In Yearwood's hands, it becomes the beating heart of Christmastime, sung with such restraint and grace that it transcends holiday sentimentality. It's not just about Christmas-it's about the human experience, memory, and enduring love.
Trisha Yearwood's Christmastime is more than just another seasonal album-it's a masterclass in musical interpretation and emotional storytelling. Every track glows with purpose and polish, anchored by her unmistakable voice. By balancing nostalgia and originality, she delivers a collection that will stand among the finest modern Christmas albums-one that comforts, uplifts, and lingers long after the decorations are packed away.
Final Verdict: Christmastime shimmers with class, heart, and timeless artistry-a radiant addition to Yearwood's legacy and the holiday canon alike.
