Ariana Grande (Courtesy of Swarovski’s Holiday Campaign Music Video 2024)
Welcome to Music Daily’s Trending Tracks, where we highlight the artists and trends occupying the music industry’s attention. Some come out of the woodwork, others have endured a months-long crusade to greatness. Nonetheless, all of them are captivating the short-circuited minds of Gen-Z social media users.
Mariah Carey may be the “Queen of Christmas,” but Ariana Grande has been her most faithful elf, readying to take the reigns in the decades to come. After already harvesting massive streaming numbers for 2014’s jingle “Santa Tell Me,” releasing the trap-R&B Christmas & Chill EP, and caroling on Carey’s, Jimmy Fallon’s, and Kelly Clarkson’s winter projects, Grande may be trying on some Mrs. Claus gear pretty soon, and, hopefully, see the same revenue as the OG—in due time, of course.
Ahead, this week’s Trending Tracks chart takes a look at the new princesses of Christmas and what tracks everyone is listening to while decorating the tree!
“Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
Since its 2014 debut, Ariana Grande’s holiday debut has solidified itself as a must-play every December. With over 1.2 billion Spotify streams and 343 million YouTube views, the track took Carey’s blueprint and zhuzh’d it up for the new generation. Peaking at No. 1 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Songs and hitting No. 8 in the UK, its popularity snowballs bigger each year. Anchored by cozy R&B-pop production and relatable lyrics like “Santa, tell me if you’re really there…,” Grande effortlessly marries festive cheer with bittersweet uncertainty, cementing her status as a Christmas pop heavyweight. Stream “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande below!
“A Nonsense Christmas” by Sabrina Carpenter
Perhaps a decade greener than Grande, “Espresso” singer Sabrina Carpenter made a quick name for herself outside the name-making Short n’ Sweet era. From last year’s holiday fruitcake EP, “A Nonsense Christmas”—a play on her promiscuous 2022 hit—has become a festive favorite, amassing over 65M streams on Spotify, more than 4.3M views on YouTube—meaning she’s a regular on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Songs. Playful innuendos like “Snowflakes in my stomach when we’re kissin'” and “Look at all those presents, that’s a big sack” spice up the Christmas song good in ole Carpenter style, putting a naughty twist to Christmas music.
On top of that, Sabrina is bringing even more holiday cheer with her Netflix special, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, premiering December 6. The special will feature classic musical performances, surprise duets with pop icons Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain, and Kali Uchis, and comedic moments with stars like Quinta Brunson and Cara Delevingne. Carpenter shared her excitement, saying, “I hope this special brings a little nonsense and a lot of joy into your holiday season.” Stream “A Nonsense Christmas” by Sabrina Carpenter below!
“Santa, Can’t You Hear Me” by Kelly Clarkson & Ariana Grande
Everyone knows when Kelly Clarkson sings your song on Kellyoke—her talk show’s notorious karaoke segment—the song’s no longer yours! However, when Grande and Clarkson’s dynamic chemistry overtook the singing segment for their grand debut performance of their duet, “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me”—the festive collaboration from Clarkson’s 2021 album, When Christmas Comes Around…—it was simply eargasmic; both divas looked overjoyed that their peer could keep up with each other’s vocal acrobatics. Now, with over 145M Spotify streams and 21M views on the official live YouTube video, the duet is another certified December hit for Clarkson’s expansive holiday catalog. Stream “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me” by Kelly Clarkson & Ariana Grande below.
So, for more Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and artists like them, read more stories on Music Daily!
