By Sarah Beth Neese

It is the holiday season once again. Weeks before Thanksgiving, stores such as Target, Walmart, and grocery stores are stocked up with holiday essentials. Temperatures are getting cooler, houses are overtaken by lights, trees are being decorated, and stores are overflowing with people in search of the perfect present. Whether it be wrapping gifts, drinking hot cocoa, going to an ugly sweater party, or spending time with family, Christmas music is crucial to any successful holiday festivities. These holiday hits, whether new or old, can be found replaying on a loop in your head, and if you are lucky, one of these songs might be from Justin Bieber’s 2011 Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe. 

Justin Beiber’s Under the Mistletoe album cover. Image credit: Island Records. 

When Bieber’s album dropped, I was in my prime ‘Bieber Fever’ years. Yes, six-year-old me was an extreme Justin Bieber fan and had already gone to two of his concerts. Bieber’s announcement about his release of a Christmas album came as an amazing surprise. Although a major fangirl, I had never listened to every song on the album until recently. Listening to all of the songs only intensified my love for the album. An underrated favorite of mine is Bieber’s “Only Thing I Ever Get For Christmas.” The upbeat yet laid-back mood of the song is perfect for any time of day. Still an immense fan now, I find myself playing Under the Mistletoe on repeat when the holiday season hits. Fellow fangirl and current freshman Maddie Jewett (‘25) says, “I love Justin Bieber. He is my favorite person ever, and his Under the Mistletoe album is perfection.”

Under the Mistletoe debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and managed to break records on several other Billboard charts. According to Billboard’s website, “Under the Mistletoe marks the 17-year old’s third No. 1 album.” The album features 14 Christmas songs sung by Bieber and includes a duet with Mariah Carey on her number one Christmas single, “All I Want for Christmas.” Bieber applies his own take on pre-existing Christmas classics such as “Little Drummer Boy,” “Santa Clause is Coming to Town,” and “Silent Night.” 

A screenshot from Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” music video. Image credit: Youtube.

Bieber’s discrete and contemporary-pop take on classical Christmas songs adds distinctiveness to the album. However, what specifically differentiates Bieber’s album from other pop stars’ Christmas albums is his hit single “Mistletoe.” Not only does “Mistletoe” generate a warm and fuzzy holiday feeling, but it also allows listeners to relate to a common holiday occurrence from a teenage perspective; this occurrence being “love” during the holidays. Do you get to spend the holidays with a special someone? Or were you just recently dumped and have to spend it all alone? Don’t worry, Bieber relates to all of these situations, allowing any listener to instantly identify with his lyrics.

Tapping into the listener’s senses, “Mistletoe” opens with Bieber singing, “Lights fill the streets, spreading so much cheer,” and follows the next verse with, “Everyone’s gathering around the fire, chestnuts roasting like a hot July.” Bieber makes an ideal Christmas moment come to life by using sensory detail to compel listeners to feel like they are there in that moment. Malone Morchower (‘23) says, “They’re all really good, and they’re all based on other Christmas songs. Example: ‘Drummer Boy.’ But ‘Mistletoe’ is his own, it isn’t taken from any other Christmas song.”

At the time of the album’s release, I would not have been the only one being found listening to his album. Current Bieber fan Clarkie Ackerly (‘24) says, “Under the Mistletoe is amazing. It gets me in the Christmas spirit, but I still listen to it year-round. He makes all the songs 10x better than they were originally.” Morchower adds, “‘Mistletoe’ is a combination of his prime age, prime looks, and prime audience, as well as Christmas in general. It reminds me of my childhood.” 

What people want to hear when they are jamming to their favorite holiday hits are songs that bring Christmas cheer and a sense of warmth even on the coldest of days. Bieber achieves just that. By creating a mix of everyone’s favorite holiday classics with original songs that have their own distinctive flair, Bieber leaves his audience feeling not only warm and fuzzy but also in the Christmas spirit. Without a doubt, more than one of his songs will provoke listeners to start dancing and singing along to the catchy rhythm and lyrics, as they are often played during Brunch festivities. Lexi Ross (‘23) says,  “I think it [“Under the Mistletoe”] was a spiritual awakening.”

A screenshot from Bieber and Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” music video. Image credit: Youtube.

Not only did Bieber produce a killer Christmas album, but he also produced three creative music videos, for Bieber and Carey’s duet to “All I Want For Christmas,” and his “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and “Mistletoe.” When talking about the “All I Want For Christmas” music video, however, Ellie Leipheimer (‘23) says, “The music video is actually appalling.”

Although I do agree that the music video did have some tacky and unpleasant moments, the song itself makes up for it. Leipheimer, however, is not the only person anti-Bieber during the holiday season. “I’ve never listened to the whole thing,” says Gabby Chen (‘23), a current Bieber fan. “Justin Bieber when he was that age was just such an ick. However, I like his music now that he’s a lot better.”