Mark Elliot was a brave man - an early advocate for same sex marriage and courageously talked about his struggles with addiction to help others. Rest In Peace
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Mark Elliot was a brave man - an early advocate for same sex marriage and courageously talked about his struggles with addiction to help others. Rest In Peace
- Mayor John Tory, Jan. 12, on Twitter
Alanis Morissette
Rising jazz-pop singer Elysia Biro and country act Kalsey Kulyk are among the first homegrown acts to celebrate the festive season with holiday music.
Halloween is over, and for Canadians, that means it’s time to start thinking about the holidays.
Over the years, holiday music has become a genre of its own. Many homegrown stars have gained much acclaim for their festive hits, including Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Sarah McLachlan, Anne Murray, Blue Rodeo, Barenaked Ladies, Justin Bieber and Bryan Adams.
Bublé, in particular, is a Christmas king. His immortal Christmas album went No. 1 for a record 10th calendar year, and in the coming weeks as holiday music starts to creep back onto the charts, he has a good chance of extending that record.
But there are a number of artists looking to get into the game. Here are the Canadian acts that have entered the holiday music genre this year. Check back for updates as the holiday hits roll out.
While Alanis Morissette is no stranger to releasing standalone holiday tracks, she's gearing up to release her first-ever Christmas album, and it’s got quite the title: Good Weather for Immaculate Conception. Slated for Nov. 6 via Epiphany Music/Virgin Music, the 14-track album is a mix of classic holiday hits, covers — namely John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," Wham!'s “Last Christmas” and Joni Mitchell's “River" (which is debatably a holiday song, but pops up each year) — and a handful of original songs. Belinda Carlisle and Steve Martin are featured on Morissette’s bluegrass-leaning rendition of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem," with Martin on banjo. Fellow Canadian Martin Short even pops up.
Former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page is welcoming music fans to listen to his forthcoming Christmas album, Steven’s Greetings. Out Nov. 13 via Fresh Baked Goods, the 10-track album includes newly recorded versions of “Christmas in Toronto” and “Everyone Can Sing at Christmas” from TV shows Murdoch Mysteries and Corner Gas, respectively, plus a couple of Barenaked Ladies tracks like “Hanukkah Blessings” and "Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind.” There are even a few original songs on the album, including “Cheese Log.” Page says the song started as a joke, but “ended up being the kind of song [he’s] most proud of.” It’s the humorous facet of Steven’s Greetings, which honestly unpacks the holiday season, moving between comedy and melancholy, Christmas and Hanukkah, familiar traditions and unexpected detours.
Many jazz artists have a natural knack for transitioning their voice into the sweet sounds of holiday music, and it’s no different for emerging jazz-pop singer Elysia Biro, who signed a joint deal with Universal Music Canada and Deutsche Grammophon in 2025. Back in September, the Vancouver Island-born act released her four-track EP, It’s Always Christmas With You. The collection brings Biro’s soft instrumentation and captivating vocals to a set of songs designed for getting cozy. The title track is an original song written by Biro, while she puts her own spin on the classics “The Christmas Song (Cheery & Bright),” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
“I wanted to write a song that captures the idea that no matter where you are or when you celebrate, it always feels like Christmas when you’re with someone you love,” she says of “It’s Always Christmas With You.”
Rising country star Kalsey Kulyk is making the case for an original holiday track. In October, the Saskatchewan singer-songwriter released “Christmas Cowboy” through Universal Music Canada — not to be confused with Kulyk’s other track “Cowboy Crazy” — an upbeat country song that hits the marks of a festive tune and traditional country Christmas hits. While it’s not Kulyk’s first Christmas song, she says this track “felt so fun” that she needed to record and release it, revealing that she had the song’s title and the chorus melody on her phone. It’s not the only thing Kulyk will be celebrating. Later this month, the singer will make her Grand Ole Opry debut, after personally being invited by Lainey Wilson.
"Halloween is over, guess it's time for Christmas," Tegan & Sara wrote on Instagram. After the Calgary-born twin sisters recently hit the Billboard Canada Airplay charts with their CanCon collab "Our Time," they're now gearing up to release two festive tunes on Nov. 6: "I Love Christmas" and "A December to Remember." While fans will have to wait and hear what the Quin sisters have cooked up for this holiday season, It's not the duo's first festive-themed music — back in 2020, they released the '90s-inspired track "Make You Mine This Season" for Clea Duvall's film Happiest Season.
Do you remember the No. 1 success of "Rude" in 2014? It's been just over a decade since the song hit the charts on both sides of the border with "Rude," and Magic!, the band behind the pop-reggae hit, are back with their own holiday-themed track, titled "As Long As We’re Together," out via Sony Music Canada on Nov. 6. It leans on the group's classic sound, a smooth, sunny blend of reggae, pop and rock. The track is a celebration of the major holiday events across the globe, with shoutouts to Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah: "Open up your heart to a different culture," frontman Nasri sings. "As long as we’re together, there’s still hope."
Could The Beaches be releasing their first-ever Christmas song? It seems likely. Earlier this week, lead singer Jordan Miller posted a TikTok lip-syncing the lyrics to Darlene Love's hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," with the caption "me when it's November 1st." But it's not Love's voice that Miller is singing to, but rather her own. Many fans took to the comments to ask if a holiday hit was in the cards for the Toronto rock act. It could be a Christmas miracle!
