Starbucks’ First Holiday Album in More Than a Decade Features Christmas Covers by Brandi Carlile, Leon Thomas and Magnus Ferrell, Plus a JYT Original
Brandi Carlile at the 25th annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 16, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association
Starbucks is releasing its first holiday album in more than a decade, Billboard reports. Holiday Blend arrives Wednesday, Nov. 4, on streaming services and Starbucks coffeehouse playlists via Interscope Records and Universal Music Group.
The album features Christmas covers by Brandi Carlile, Leon Thomas, Coco Jones, Magnus Ferrell, TRÍADA and The Womack Sisters, plus an original song by the boy band JYT. Starbucks last released a holiday album in 2012 with Holidays Rule, which featured The Shins, Fun., The Civil Wars, Paul McCartney and others.
Carlile covers Joni Mitchell’s “River,” which opens with images of Christmas preparations. Thomas takes on James Brown’s “Soulful Christmas.”
Ferrell covers the “Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season” medley released by Andy Williams in 1963. He said being part of Holiday Blend “felt like a chance to make something that’s both new and nostalgic. I grew up hearing these songs, so getting to record them in my own way was a pretty special experience.”
Jones recorded “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” another Williams release from 1963. She said she “was honored and excited to put my own spin on such a beloved holiday classic, and I hope my version brings a little extra joy to people’s celebrations this season.”
JYT contributes the original song “This Christmas.” The quintet said it was “pumped” to be part of the compilation. “The idea that someone could be ordering a Refresher and hear our song playing is actually crazy,” the group said in a statement. The song includes a lyric about wanting someone and their peppermint kisses for Christmas. JYT mastermind Freddy Wexler wrote and produced the track with co-writer Elliah Heifetz and co-producer Gian Stone.
Argentine trio TRÍADA recorded the album’s only Spanish-language song, a cover of Luis Miguel’s “Llegó La Navidad,” itself a take on “Winter Wonderland.” “We hope this version feels familiar and fresh at the same time,” the trio said. “The song has such a beautiful feeling at its heart, and singing it in Spanish let us connect with it in our own way.”
R&B trio The Womack Sisters cover Stevie Wonder’s 1967 hit “What Christmas Means to Me.” “For our family, Christmas is the best time of the year,” the group said. “The holidays are about togetherness, so singing ‘What Christmas Means to Me’ felt like a natural way to celebrate the season and share a piece of that family connection.”
Holiday Blend also includes a $500,000 donation to World Central Kitchen to support humanitarian relief efforts around the world.
“Music has always been part of the Starbucks experience, and we are building on that legacy in a way that feels fresh for today,” said Erin Silvoy, Starbucks’ senior vice president, global marketing & channel development. “Holiday Blend brings together incredible artists to put their own spin on songs we all know and love. My hope is that it becomes part of the soundtrack to the season, creating a little more joy and connection whether you’re in a Starbucks coffeehouse or wherever the holidays take you.”
Starbucks acquired music retailer Hear Music in 1999 and later offered exclusive releases in partnership with Concord Music Group. In 2006, Billboard reported annual album sales of 3.6 million units, or approximately $65 million in music revenue, through Starbucks. Its coffee shops stopped selling CDs in 2015, but the company has continued its music efforts, including a longstanding partnership with Spotify.
The Holiday Blend track list is below.
- “Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season” – Magnus Ferrell
- “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” – Coco Jones
- “This Christmas” – JYT
- “Llegó La Navidad” – TRÍADA
- “River” – Brandi Carlile
- “What Christmas Means to Me” – The Womack Sisters
- “Soulful Christmas” – Leon Thomas
Source: Billboard
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