Christmas by Michael Bublé is one of the top-selling Christmas albums of all time. James Shepard, Staff Writer Released October 24, 2011, Michael Bublé’s iconic album, Christmas, has become a classic for listeners around the world during Christmastime. In the United States alone, the album has sold more than 4.3 million copies and has spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Featuring covers of iconic Christmas songs like “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Holly Jolly Christmas,” Bublé created a work that encompasses themes such as longing for love and enjoying everything that the holiday season has to offer. The album opens with the classic Christmas song, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas.” Bublé utilizes a light orchestra instrumental to set a warm and cozy atmosphere for listeners. In the song, Bublé sings about several heralds of Christmas, such as “Toys in every store” and how “Soon the bells will ring.” He also sings fondly about his lover and her Christmas decorations in this song, with lyrics such as, “The prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be // On your own front door.” This song encapsulates many aspects of Christmas and sets a festive tone for the rest of the album. The record continues with another Christmas staple, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” The song features a jazzy instrumental that delivers a refreshing take on this commonly covered piece. Then, Bublé sings his jazzy rendition of “Jingle Bells,” featuring The Puppini Sisters. The extended version of this holiday classic includes gentle harmonies between all singers. Although the song can get repetitive, the vocal performance of Bublé and the sisters keep a fresh and festive atmosphere. The next song, “White Christmas,” is a duet with the legendary Shania Twain. Twain’s light high notes and Bublé’s rich harmonies complement each other very well as they sing of a snowy Christmas. The song ends with the wish many people have for their loved ones, “May your days be merry and bright // And may all your Christmases be white.” Photo from Retro Pop Magazine; Bublé’s snow-covered Christmas album cover is a common sight on phone screens throughout the Christmas season. The fifth track is Bublé’s take on the iconic Mariah Carey song, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The piano and string instruments support a ballad version of the usually upbeat instrumental. Even though no one can outmatch Carey’s incredible vocals, Bublé’s cover of the song is a sweet rendition of the Christmas track. One of the highlights of Christmas is Bublé’s rendition of “Holly Jolly Christmas.” The joyful lyrics and instantly recognizable instrumentation cause the listeners to think about what they love about Christmas. Next on the album is “Santa Baby,” where Bublé asks Santa for various gifts. Although the lyrics are frivolous, Bublé’s vocals provide a pleasant listening experience. The next song is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The lyrics describe the reassurance and rest that Christmas brings to millions of people around the world, through lines like “Our troubles will be miles away” and “Our troubles will be out of sight.” The album continues into the next song, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” which is about longing for one’s love during the holiday season. Going through the holidays without your favorite people is difficult, and this song captures that feeling of loneliness well with lyrics like “They're singing ‘Deck The Halls’ // But it's not like Christmas at all.” Moving into another Christmas classic, “Silent Night” features Bublé singing with a children’s choir. The track is a beautiful, relaxing version of the famous lullaby. The following song, “Blue Christmas,” contrasts the previous track “White Christmas,” as Bublé sings about how “blue” his Christmas will be without his lover. Similar to “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” Bublé sings that his holiday would be so much better with his lover. Photo from People Magazine; If you're in need of some Christmas cheer, you can stream Bublé's hour-long special Christmas in the City, which premiered in 2021. The twelfth song on this album is the only original song, titled “Cold December Night.” The song tells the tale of Bublé’s Christmas Eve, where he pleads with his lover to “Just fall in love with me this Christmas.” Bublé utilizes a classic upbeat instrumental and hopeful lyrics to continue the album’s theme of wanting a perfect Christmas with the one he loves. The next song is “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” in which someone reassures their loved ones that they’ll make it back in time for the holidays. The singer asks for things like “snow and mistletoe” and “presents by the tree.” Bublé’s slow cover of the song adds a nice touch of emotion, which sets this rendition apart from other versions of the Christmas hit. The album continues with a famous Latin song titled “Ave Maria.” The song is a prayer written to the Virgin Mary, with “Ave Maria” translating directly to “Hail Mary.” Bublé’s cover features an orchestra and haunting vocals as he sings the prayer. The final song on the album, “Mis Deseos / Feliz Navidad,” is a duet with Latin star Thalia. The song starts with a section where Bublé and Thalia promise that they will always be with their lovers. Then, the song transitions into the classic “Feliz Navidad” portion. Although this interpretation of the song is not as uptempo as the original, it is a refreshing and fun cover. "Christmas by Michael Bublé." Genius, genius.com/albums/Michael-buble/Christmas. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
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Bella Cady, Staff Writer The show Gilmore Girls is a dramatic comedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. It is available on Netflix. The show outlines the lives of a teen mom, Lorelai, and her teen daughter, Rory. Gilmore Girls aired seven seasons between October 2000 and May 2007. The series was later revived in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life in November 2016. Over those seven seasons, the characters go through many changes and learn from their mistakes, even though sometimes they don’t learn the first time. Photo from Wired; The main characters from the show are very close in real life, after the show ran for an impressive seven seasons. SPOILER ALERT FROM HERE ON Season 1: Lorelai is a mother who runs an inn in Stars Hollow. She had her daughter Rory when she was 16. Rory is a brilliant girl who has had big dreams of going to Harvard since she was little. To do so, Rory applies for Chilton Preparatory School in Hartford. When she gets accepted, Lorelai realizes that she can’t pay for the school herself, so Lorelai seeks help from her parents, Richard and Emily, who she had cut off after running away with Rory. Lorelai’s parents agreed they would cover school if the girls came to dinner every Friday night. When Rory starts school, Paris, who has always been at the top of her class, perceives her as a threat. Soon after moving schools, Rory has a date with a boy named Dean, and he becomes her first boyfriend. While Rory is occupied with her boyfriend, Lorelai gets a boyfriend named Max, Rory’s English teacher. Max and Lorelai have their ups and downs, and during one of their low points, Rory’s dad, Christopher, is introduced by the show. At the end of the season, Max proposes to Lorelai. Season 2: Rory and Lorelai are planning a wedding even though she hasn’t decided what to tell Max. When she makes up her mind and says yes, she chooses not to tell her parents. Lorelai gets nervous and doesn't show up to her wedding, so they don’t get married. However, Sookie, Lorelai’s best friend who works at an inn as a chef, gets engaged and marries the producer, Jackson. Amid all the wedding drama, Luke’s nephew Jess moves in with him. This starts a love triangle-type situation with Rory, who is dating Dean but starts to like Jess. One day Luke asks Rory to help Jess with his homework, and she agrees. While studying, they decide to get ice cream and crash on their way back. Rory breaks her arm, and as a result, Jess runs away to New York out of guilt. After Rory takes a day trip to New York to find and talk to him, he comes back. When she sees him at Sookie's wedding, Rory makes the impulsive decision to kiss him. Season 3: Rory is still dating Dean, and Jess has gotten a girlfriend. This makes Rory jealous, and she starts acting out of character. They have a town danceathon, and Jess shows up with his girlfriend in spite. Rory gets upset and starts making a scene, causing Dean to break up with her. Soon after the danceathon, Jess and Rory get together, but when he fails his senior year, Luke throws him out, and he disappears. Unfortunately, the inn Lorelai runs burns down, which incites Sookie and Lorelai’s plan to open their own inn. Rory decides to go to Yale after persuasion from her grandfather, even though she got accepted into Harvard. Season 4: After coming back from a trip to Europe. Lorelai and Sookie are facing money troubles trying to open their inn. Rory gets ready to go to Yale, and her classes end up being harder than expected. Jess returns to ask her to run away with him, and she turns him down. Her ex-boyfriend Dean, who gets married, is helping with construction at Lorelai and Sookie’s inn, named “The Dragonfly Inn.” He is still making moves on Rory. During the opening weekend of the inn, Lorelai and Luke finally get together. Season 5: Soon after the events of Season 4, the whole town finds out Luke and Lorelai are dating. When Dean and his wife split up, he and Rory get back together. Lorelai is not very fond of the circumstances. However, not long after they break up again, Rory starts seeing a guy named Logan. He is on the Yale Daily News with her, and his dad is a big name in the journalism industry. Rory gets an internship at his dad’s paper, but when she finishes, he gives her a very harsh review, and she loses motivation to be a writer. She decides to drop out of Yale after stealing a yacht with Logan and going to jail. Season 6: Rory and Lorelai have a massive argument about Yale. Rory moves in with her grandparents and works off her community service hours. However, after a brief appearance from Jess, Rory goes back to Yale. She becomes the editor of the Yale Daily News. Later on in the season, Luke and Lorelai get engaged but don’t go through with the marriage because Luke finds out she has a daughter. Lorelai doesn’t want to wait, so she breaks it off and runs back to Christopher. Season 7: Luke comes to his senses and decides that he wants to marry Lorelai. However, she admits that she was with Christopher, ending things with Luke for a while. Christopher and Lorelai get engaged and married on a whim in Paris, but as most viewers expect, they do not last because Luke is still a part of her life. Luke and Lorelai get back together at the very end of the season. Logan travels to London to work for his dad’s company. The distance is difficult, but he and Rory make it work. When he returns for Rory’s graduation, he proposes and asks her to move in with him. She declines and takes a job following a campaign. Photo from Periscope; Netflix's announcement for "A Year in the Life" was a pleasant surprise for many Gilmore Girls fans. A Year in the Life: This revival series takes place almost ten years after the end of the seventh season. There are four episodes divided into the four seasons of the year. We see many of the original characters, including Rory’s ex-boyfriends, Lane and Christopher. It starts with Rory: she has spent the past few years on a journalism trip. She goes to London to visit Logan, who is engaged and working for his dad. Luke and Lorelai live together. Their relationship seems to be going well, but they’re still not married. Lorelai decides to go on a self-exploration trip to clear her mind, and when she gets back, they get married. Unfortunately, Richard has passed away. While trying to cope, Emily lets loose and moves to Nantucket. At the end of the show, Rory reveals a big secret. If you want to know what it is, you’ll have to watch it yourself! Griffiths, Eleanor Bley. “Everything You Need to Know before Watching the Gilmore Girls Revival on Netflix.” Gilmore Girls on Netflix:
Season-by-Season Recap | Key Episodes and Character Bios – What to Watch before Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Radio Times, Radio Times, 1 Dec. 2020, https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/everything-you-need-to-know-before-watching-the-gilmore-girls-revival-on-netflix/. |