Iconic singer and actress Cher falls a wee bit short of the mark on βDJ Play A Christmas Song,β the lead single from her 2023 holiday album, Christmas.
Writing brand-new, worthwhile holiday and Christmas songs is a tall task. Novelty songs truly have to be penned just right. That is why many new songs penned for the holidays are meh at best, or worst β sus.
Cher is an icon β NOBODY will dispute or take that away from her. However, her new Christmas original,
βDJ Play A Christmas Songβ, the promo single from her album,
Christmas (arrives October 20, 2023) isβ¦ a bit questionable. To be fair, Cher is 77 years old, so, the expectations arenβt through the roof β she proved herself long ago. Still, thereβs a very slim chance that βDJ Play A Christmas Songβ becomes your favorite holiday song β¦
Cher has plenty of talent in her corner on βDJ Play A Christmas Song.β It was written by
Leland (Brett McLaughlin), JHart, jesse saint john, Lionel Crasta, Mark Schick, and Sarah Hudson. It was produced by
Mark Taylor, who concocts a familiar, electro pop backdrop weβve come to associate with Cher β rhythmic synths and a pounding dance beat. Despite talented individuals collaborating with the icon, βDJ Play A Christmas Songβ falls short. The vocals sound sus. There far too many effects, and I question the quality, particularly in the versesβ¦ To her credit, Cher serves up more powerful, potent vocals in the chorus. The songwriting comes from a good place β one of the necessity for joy in the most wonderful time of the year β but still feels a bit flimsy. Thereβs an abrupt key change prior to the final chorus. It wouldβve been nice to have had there been more momentum leading up to the modulation or a transitional chord. Cher is and will always be an icon. The collaborators working with her are talented. BUT, as for me, in the case of
βDJ Play A Christmas Songβ, quoting the legendary Randy Jackson, itβs a NO from me dawg. Mid at best.
Cher β’
Christmas β’
Warner β’
10.20.23
[
: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Warner; OpenClipart-Vectors, PIRO via Pixabay]