WORDS  Tara Joshi

Mary J. Blige’s first ever Christmas album is everything that you might expect; with her smooth, soulful vocals singing seasonal classics over some wonderfully cheesy instrumentals. With that said, there is some reworking of the holiday staples as well, with an ambient take on Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, some warming brass sounds on opener Little Drummer Boy and some jazzy saxophone on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. As a whole, the album is less full of the vulgar jingling bells we might fear from a holiday record, and more of a refined effort full of R&B with a nod to jazz. There are guest vocals from the likes of Barbra Streisand and Jessie J, which mix things up nicely (and arguably highlight Blige’s comparable talent). It’s not about to go up there with Dean Martin or Mariah Carey in your Christmas album hall of fame, but it is a nice little record to soundtrack your festive season. And, frankly, for the album title alone, this deserves recognition.