“Obviously, I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
“That’s not festive.”
“It was popular, but it didn’t have what it has now.
Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
That makes me feel really proud as someone that loves Christmas so much.”
Are you fully in it right now, or is it something you still need to warm up to?
We released the deluxe edition ofMerry Christmas[this month].
So, obviously, I had to get into that spirit [early].
I personally like to wait till after Thanksgiving to really get gung-ho.
I have a thing where I just live outside the traditional realm of how we measure [it].
So in that way, Santa and myself are very similar.
But I’m excited about the 25th anniversary.
It’s like everything coming together to give the song a celebratory moment.
That, for me, particularly as a songwriter, is huge.
So I do want to celebrate this year in an even bigger way than usual.
It was such an amazing thing to see happen.
We listen to it all year long."
Which is funny since you were initially hesitant about putting out your first Christmas album.
That is true, and that’s because it was so early in my career.
As much as I love Christmas, I thought that the record company was off.
Obviously, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
What do you remember about writing and recording the song?
I just started thinking about all things Christmas and growing up as a kid that loves Christmas.
I think that’s why it’s such a festive record.
I just want this other person.'"
And I guess that was my thing.
So when I got with [co-writer Walter Afanasieff] … And you know what?
That is true, because I don’t usually start writing songs on the piano.
So I brought it to Walter.
I had already written most of the song, and we worked on the bridge and produced it together.
Some of the song’s best moments are the background vocals.
Doing background vocals is one my favorite things.
I usually sing the “and I"s when we’re just celebrating Christmas [at home].
You must get a ton of requests to use the song in film and TV.
ButLove, Actuallyis one of the few that it’s in.
How do you decide what is worthy for inclusion?
Love, Actuallyhappened early in the song’s life.
And I’m happy I did that.
I don’t want to give it to anybody.
It’s not about the person.
It’s just, is this the right look?
You put out a second Christmas album,Merry Christmas II You, in 2010.
The first one was such a huge success, was it hard not to compare the two?
I honestly loved the second one.
I recorded most of it when I was pregnant.
I wanted to do some of the arrangements a little more subtle.
And it was the first time I wrote with Marc Shaiman.
Do you consider it your most successful from a songwriting standpoint?
Yes, it’s a hugely successful song.
Do I think it’s the best song that I’ve ever written?
I don’t know how to judge that.
[But] it has its own place for me.
