","type":"video","meta":{"author":"The Graham Norton Show","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4PziMH5MvvsmqM0VCZTy-g","cache_age":86400,"description":"Lizzo shows her love for the British accent, and the confusion it brings\n\n#GrahamNortonShow #GrahamNorton #TheGNShow #Lizzo\n\nFollow us here:\nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegrahamnor…\nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrahamno…\nTwitter: https://twitter.com/TheGNShow\nTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegnshow\nSnapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/The…","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hRJzez4UDm8/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Lizzo Learnt Slang From Love Island | The Graham Norton Show","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRJzez4UDm8","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"63e76f27e4b0255caaec056e","entryTagsList":"uktv,we-love-tv,love-island,lizzo","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":8},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"63e76f27e4b0255caaec056e","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"uktv","slug":"uktv","links":{"relativeLink":"news/uktv","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/uktv","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/uktv"},"relegenceId":4255579,"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"UK TV","slug":"uktv","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/uktv/"},{"name":"we love tv","slug":"we-love-tv","links":{"relativeLink":"news/we-love-tv","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/we-love-tv","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/we-love-tv"},"section":{"title":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"topic":{"title":"We Love TV","slug":"we-love-tv","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/we-love-tv/"},{"name":"love island","slug":"love-island","links":{"relativeLink":"news/love-island","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/love-island","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/love-island"},"relegenceId":3906149,"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Love Island","slug":"love-island","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/love-island/"},{"name":"Lizzo","slug":"lizzo","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lizzo","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo/"}],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
Love Island can count another big A-list star among its fans after Lizzo revealed she’s been watching the reality show.
The About Damn Time singer joins the likes of Margot Robbie and Amy Schumer in her fandom of the ITV2 reality show, which is currently airing its ninth series.
Advertisement
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show on Friday night, Lizzo admitted she had been learning British slang while watching Love Island – although there is one phrase that has her pretty confused.
“I watch Love Island,” she told the host. “There’s a lot of ‘mug off’, ‘I feel like a mug’.
“I’m like, what’s a mug? A mug is what you drink coffee out of… How can you feel like a ceramic cup?!” she said.
Lizzo was a guest on The Graham Norton Show on Friday
Ian West via PA Wire/PA Images
Last year, Lizzo admitted she’d once put Love Island on to “fall asleep” to and praised contestant Indiyah Polack.
Advertisement
Y’all I put on #LoveIsland to fall asleep and now I’m hooked…
Indiyah the baddest in the villa no kizzy 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
Margot Robbie has previously been among Love Island’s most high-profile fans.
In 2020, the Hollywood actor made headlines when she was caught on camera gleefully meeting former contestants at the Birds Of Prey premiere in London.
After posing for snaps with the group, it was revealed she later slid into Lucie Donlan’s DMs to invite the group back to a post-film event, which later saw them heading back to her apartment for an after-party.
She also themed her 31st birthday party around Love Island, with an outdoor bash inspired by the hit reality show.
Last year, Margot also revealed that she and The Suicide Squad director James Gunn also chatted about the villa drama during filming for the DC film.
Advertisement
She told ITV’s Lorraine: “We probably spoke about Love Island more than we spoke about this film while we were on set.”
The Graham Norton Show airs on Fridays at 10.35pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Pop fans – the time has come to start updating your Christmas playlists.
This year, we’ve really been spoilt, with some of the biggest names in music unveiling brand new festive offerings, including seasonal tunes from the likes of Lizzo, Sam Smith and Alicia Keys.
Fortunately for those who don’t feel like sifting through every single new song to sort out the “naughty” from the “nice”, we’ve done all the hard work for you.
Advertisement
Here’s our take on some of the biggest new Christmas releases for this year, starting with something very special indeed…
Lindsay Lohan – Jingle Bell Rock, feat. Ali Tomineek
","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Netflix","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWOA1ZGywLbqmigxE4Qlvuw","cache_age":86400,"description":"Lindsay Lohan sings \"Jingle Bell Rock\" from the Netflix Film Falling for Christmas, coming to Netflix on November 10th. \n\nAbout Falling for Christmas: A newly engaged, spoiled hotel heiress (Lindsay Lohan) gets into a skiing accident, suffers from total amnesia and finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas.\n\n\"JINGLE BELL ROCK\" LYRICS\nJingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock\nJingle bells swing and jingle bells ring \nSnowin’ and blowin’ up bushels of fun\nNow the jingle hop has begun\nJingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock\nJingle bells chime in jingle bell time\nDancin’ and prancin’ in jingle bell square\nIn the frosty air\nWhat a bright time, it’s the right time\nTo rock the night away\nJingle bell time is a swell time\nTo go glidin’ in a one horse sleigh\nGiddy up, jingle horse pick up your feet\nJingle around the clock\nMix and a-mingle in a jinglin’ beat\nThat’s the jingle bell rock\n \nJing, jing, jingle bell, jingle bell rock\nJingle bells chime in jingle bell time\nDancin’ and prancin’ in jingle bell square\nIn the frosty air\nWhat a bright time, it’s the right time\nWe’re gonna rock the night away\nJingle bell time, it’s a swell time\nTo go glidin’ in a one horse sleigh, hey\nGiddy up, jingle horse pick up your feet\nJingle around the clock\nMix and a-mingle in a jinglin’ beat\nThat’s the jingle bell rock\n\nYo!\nOkay, it’s beginning to look like it’s Christmas\nI got a lot on my wish list (true)\nYeah, I know that I’m already gifted\nBut I never had a problem with kisses\nGet the mistletoe and a couple of winter coats\nCause you know that it’s really cold\nI mean, really cold!\nWe could bundle up in the snow\nIf you don’t got nowhere to go\nBaby let me know\nAs soon as I saw your face\nGirl I knew that I just wanted you for the holidays\n\nSo come on, don’t be shy today\nCome and hop inside of Santa’s sleigh\nWe could ride away\nFeel like I’m in a wonderland\nEvery time that we hold hands\nI mean oh man\nI think I fell in love again, but i’m done\nBring it back in Lindsay Lohan\n\nWhat a bright time, it’s the right time\nWe’re gonna rock the night away\nJingle bell time, it’s a swell time\nTo go glidin’ in a one horse sleigh,\nJingle\nGiddy up, jingle horse pick up your feet\nJingle around the clock\nMix and a-mingle in a jinglin’ beat\nThat’s the jingle bell, that’s the jingle bell\nThat’s the jingle bell rock\nJingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock\n\nSUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/29qBUt7\n\nAbout Netflix:\nNetflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 223 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.\n\nLindsay Lohan sings \"Jingle Bell Rock\" | Falling for Christmas | Official Lyric Video | Netflix\nhttps://youtube.com/Netflix\n\nAfter losing her memory in a skiing accident, a spoiled heiress lands in the cozy care of a down-on-his-luck widower and his daughter at Christmastime.","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wP54DA-gmSs/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Lindsay Lohan sings \"Jingle Bell Rock\" | Falling for Christmas | Official Lyric Video | Netflix","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP54DA-gmSs","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","entryTagsList":"ukmusic,christmas,lizzo,sam-smith,cliff-richard,lindsay-lohan,alicia-keys,jinkx-monsoon","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukmusic","slug":"ukmusic","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukmusic","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic/"},{"name":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","links":{"relativeLink":"news/christmas","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas"},"relegenceId":5556441,"relegenceSubjectId":978615,"section":{"title":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"topic":{"title":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas/"},{"name":"Lizzo","slug":"lizzo","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lizzo","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo/"},{"name":"Sam Smith","slug":"sam-smith","links":{"relativeLink":"news/sam-smith","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith"},"relegenceId":2839254,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith/"},{"name":"Cliff Richard","slug":"cliff-richard","links":{"relativeLink":"news/cliff-richard","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard"},"relegenceId":5940892,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard/"},{"name":"Lindsay Lohan","slug":"lindsay-lohan","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lindsay-lohan","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan"},"relegenceId":1076550,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan/"},{"name":"Alicia Keys","slug":"alicia-keys","links":{"relativeLink":"news/alicia-keys","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys/"},{"name":"jinkx monsoon","slug":"jinkx-monsoon","links":{"relativeLink":"news/jinkx-monsoon","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon/"}],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
Oh, Santa has been good to us this year. Not only is 2022 the year we finally got a Lindsay Lohan comeback in the wonderfully cheesy Netflix original Falling For Christmas, it also came with a bonus stocking filler in the form of a new musical offering from the criminally-underrated artiste.
What’s more, the track is a cover of the festive staple Jingle Bell Rock, in a nod to one of the most iconic scenes of Lindsay’s signature film, Mean Girls.
Advertisement
All in all, we’re very much here for her take on Jingle Bell Rock, and we enjoy what the musical team did in terms of bringing the song up to date without taking it too far away from the original. Still, we have had to deduct marks for the completely unnecessary addition of a rap verse (a bit of digging reveals Ali Tomineek originally rose to prominence on the Netflix talent search Rhythm + Flow, which may well explain how he came to be on the track in the first place).
Sample lyric: What a bright time, it’s the right time to rock the night away.
It can be the case that when a big-name singer releases a holiday album they spend the afternoon recording a few covers, slap some sleigh bells on it, pose in some fake snow for the artwork and call it a day.
Well, we’re happy to see that’s not the approach Alicia Keys has taken, with her new festive release featuring four original tracks (including a co-write with Emeli Sandé!) alongside covers of Santa Baby, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and The Christmas song.
The stand-out is lead single December Back 2 June which mixes a retro R&B vibe with a modern sound in that way Alica does so well. It’s also a bit of a bop, with lyrics referencing how the festive season makes her feel nostalgic for the past year with a loved one. Ask us next year whether it’s made our permanent playlist, but we’ll definitely be giving it a spin this December at the very least.
Advertisement
Sample lyric: “For this Christmas, don’t need wishes, not since I met you, every season, you’ll give reason to love you from December back to June”
As part of Amazon Music’s Christmas celebrations, Lizzo has chosen to delve deep into the festive vaults and cover Stevie Wonder’s classic Someday At Christmas, a full 55 years after it was first released.
While “peace on earth” is a pretty popular Yuletide lyrical theme, Someday At Christmas takes a more specific approach in its lyrics right from the opening line: “Someday at Christmas, men won’t be boys, playing with bombs like kids play with toys.”
The lyrics certainly pack a punch, and as you’d expect from a good Stevie Wonder cover, the production is definitely a 60s throwback. And there’s certainly no arguing with Lizzo’s vocal abilities here.
Advertisement
Sample lyric: “Someday all our dreams will come to be, someday in a world where we are free, maybe not in time for you and me, but someday at Christmas time.”
Anyone looking for something new to cosy up to in front of the fire while slurping down mulled wine and looking out of the window at where snow would no doubt be cascading if climate change hadn’t stopped us from ever having a white Christmas again is in luck.
Sam Smith’s new slow jam is very much in their usual wheelhouse (it’s certainly more Stay With Me than Unholy, in case anyone is worried about a festive jump-scare), and there’s no denying it’s a pretty song that would be the perfect soundtrack to an under-the-mistletoe moment.
Still, it’s not exactly imaginative, which is a shame as just a couple of years ago Sam gave us the brilliantly unique Christmas tune The Lighthouse Keeper, which is definitely the superior of their two festive originals.
Advertisement
Sample lyric: “Come rest your weary head on my chest, the year is behind us, we’re still at our best, the magic of Christmas is what’s coming next, so lean in and kiss me and all of the rest.”
","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Cliff Richard","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-zULhX5gDvt9kTDeJaubA","cache_age":86400,"description":"My brand new album Christmas with Cliff is out now! ❄️⛄You can buy, stream or download the album here: https://cliffrichard.lnk.to/ChristmasWithCliff\nI’ll be on @The One Show tonight where I’ll be chatting all about the album, make sure you tune in!\n\nTo stay up to date with all new releases on the channel subscribe here: https://bit.ly/3152uk6\n\nLike Cliff on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sircliffrichard\n#cliffrichard #christmaswithcliff #christmas","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fIXAIfncrAQ/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Cliff Richard – Heart Of Christmas (Official Video)","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIXAIfncrAQ","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","entryTagsList":"ukmusic,christmas,lizzo,sam-smith,cliff-richard,lindsay-lohan,alicia-keys,jinkx-monsoon","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukmusic","slug":"ukmusic","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukmusic","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic/"},{"name":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","links":{"relativeLink":"news/christmas","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas"},"relegenceId":5556441,"relegenceSubjectId":978615,"section":{"title":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"topic":{"title":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas/"},{"name":"Lizzo","slug":"lizzo","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lizzo","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo/"},{"name":"Sam Smith","slug":"sam-smith","links":{"relativeLink":"news/sam-smith","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith"},"relegenceId":2839254,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith/"},{"name":"Cliff Richard","slug":"cliff-richard","links":{"relativeLink":"news/cliff-richard","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard"},"relegenceId":5940892,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard/"},{"name":"Lindsay Lohan","slug":"lindsay-lohan","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lindsay-lohan","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan"},"relegenceId":1076550,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan/"},{"name":"Alicia Keys","slug":"alicia-keys","links":{"relativeLink":"news/alicia-keys","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys/"},{"name":"jinkx monsoon","slug":"jinkx-monsoon","links":{"relativeLink":"news/jinkx-monsoon","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon/"}],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
You might be surprised to see Sir Cliff on our round-up of contemporary festive tunes, but with three Christmas number ones to his name, and a new album out for 2022, we’d be remiss not to include him.
This track is the lead single from the crooner’s new album Christmas With Cliff, beginning with some pretty standard lyrics about how “the streets are glistening with lights”, “the air is getting cold outside” and “the snow is falling from above”, but by the time we get to the chorus it becomes apparent that the “Heart Of Christmas” Sir Cliff is singing about is, Jesus. To be fair, his most recent number one was a reimagined version of The Lord’s Prayer so we could probably have seen this coming.
“Hear the angels singing out, unto us a child is born,” he sings on the chorus. “Jesus, the heart of Christmas.”
Advertisement
So, yeah – this one probably isn’t for everybody. But at the same time, we can’t pretend this isn’t among the catchier Christmas tunes on the list…
Sample lyric: “Listen and you hear the sound, the song they sang in Bethlehem is forever.”
Our rating: 🎄🎄🎄
Jinkx Monsoon And BenDeLaCreme – Looking At The Lights
","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Various Artists – Topic","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGEEEXr1aSMQy3SYKaJDqew","cache_age":86400,"description":"Provided to YouTube by CDBaby\n\nLooking at the Lights: From the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show Live! (Studio Recording) (feat. Bendelacreme) · Jinkx Monsoon · Bendelacreme · Markaholic\n\nLooking at the Lights: From the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show Live! (Studio Recording) (feat. Bendelacreme)\n\n℗ 2022 Bendelacreme LLC\n\nReleased on: 2022-11-01\n\nAuto-generated by YouTube.","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ycz-IS0a3oI/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Looking at the Lights: From the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show Live! (Studio Recording) (feat….","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycz-IS0a3oI","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","entryTagsList":"ukmusic,christmas,lizzo,sam-smith,cliff-richard,lindsay-lohan,alicia-keys,jinkx-monsoon","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukmusic","slug":"ukmusic","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukmusic","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic/"},{"name":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","links":{"relativeLink":"news/christmas","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas"},"relegenceId":5556441,"relegenceSubjectId":978615,"section":{"title":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"topic":{"title":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas/"},{"name":"Lizzo","slug":"lizzo","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lizzo","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo/"},{"name":"Sam Smith","slug":"sam-smith","links":{"relativeLink":"news/sam-smith","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith"},"relegenceId":2839254,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith/"},{"name":"Cliff Richard","slug":"cliff-richard","links":{"relativeLink":"news/cliff-richard","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard"},"relegenceId":5940892,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard/"},{"name":"Lindsay Lohan","slug":"lindsay-lohan","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lindsay-lohan","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan"},"relegenceId":1076550,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan/"},{"name":"Alicia Keys","slug":"alicia-keys","links":{"relativeLink":"news/alicia-keys","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys/"},{"name":"jinkx monsoon","slug":"jinkx-monsoon","links":{"relativeLink":"news/jinkx-monsoon","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon/"}],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
Fans of drag duo Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme might already know this original festive tune, as it was featured in their 2021 holiday special. This year, it’s been given a proper single release, which we’re over the moon about, as it hopefully means even more people will now discover it.
Written by BenDeLaCreme and performed by the recently-crowned “Queen of All Queens” Jinkx, Looking At The Lights is a sorrowful, musical theatre-inspired torch song that will certainly speak to anyone who finds this particular time of year difficult.
Still, don’t go thinking it’s all doom and gloom. Yes, Looking At The Lights does highlight the many reasons a lot of us struggle in the winter, but also highlights how having even just one person in your corner, whether that be a partner, friend or family member, can often be enough to get you through it.
Advertisement
Sample lyric: “You may see a tree wonder what’s the use… maybe there’s no use, just a nice excuse for me to sit beside you on these cold and lonely nights.”
Our rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Rosie Thomas and Sufjan Stevens – We Should Be Together
","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Rosie Thomas","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7ONVTsnuzEk5De8kKL55lQ","cache_age":86400,"description":"Ltd Ed \"We Should Be Together\" Necklace Sets at https://rosiethomas.bandcamp.com/merch \nGet em while you can!\nCredits:\nWritten by Jeffrey Shoop, Rosanne Thomas\nProduced by Jeff Shoop\nPerformed by Jeff Shoop, Rosie Thomas\nGuest Vocals, Drums, and Additional Engineering by Sufjan Stevens\nSleigh bells by James McAlister\nEngineered by Jeff Shoop\nMixed by Yuuki Matthews\nMastered by Ed Brooks\nVideo by Jeff Shoop\n\nLyrics:\nMan why did I let you leave me alone in summer\nI should have known by fall Id finally finish your sweater\nAnd now it’s lying here on my bed\nAt night I wrap the arms around my waist\nPretend it’s you instead\nAnd cry into the shoulder\n\nWe’ve pulled this thread for so long\nTo let it come undone now\nI still believe \nWe still belong\nSomeway somehow so\n\nI’ll be home for Christmas time\n(Whatever the weather)\nYou be home for Christmas too\n(We should be together)\n\nMan why did I let my feet get cold and bitter\nToo scared\nInsecure\nUnsure if you were unsure \nThe pieces wouldn’t fit\nNot a tight enough knit \nFor us \nTo make it through the winter \n\nWe’ve pulled this thread for so long\nTo let it come undone now\nI still believe \nWe still belong\nSomeway somehow so\n\nI’ll be home for Christmas time\n(Whatever the weather)\nYou be home for Christmas too\n(We should be together)\n\nWe should be together\n\n\n\n#christmas #christianmusic #lovesong #breakupsong #rosiethomas #sufjanstevens","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":480,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xRxdaa0GBbE/sddefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":640,"title":"Rosie Thomas – We Should Be Together (feat. Sufjan Stevens )","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRxdaa0GBbE","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","entryTagsList":"ukmusic,christmas,lizzo,sam-smith,cliff-richard,lindsay-lohan,alicia-keys,jinkx-monsoon","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"638f26eee4b06fdc9d913210","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"ukmusic","slug":"ukmusic","links":{"relativeLink":"news/ukmusic","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/ukmusic/"},{"name":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","links":{"relativeLink":"news/christmas","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas"},"relegenceId":5556441,"relegenceSubjectId":978615,"section":{"title":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"topic":{"title":"Christmas","slug":"christmas","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/christmas/"},{"name":"Lizzo","slug":"lizzo","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lizzo","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lizzo/"},{"name":"Sam Smith","slug":"sam-smith","links":{"relativeLink":"news/sam-smith","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith"},"relegenceId":2839254,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/sam-smith/"},{"name":"Cliff Richard","slug":"cliff-richard","links":{"relativeLink":"news/cliff-richard","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard"},"relegenceId":5940892,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/cliff-richard/"},{"name":"Lindsay Lohan","slug":"lindsay-lohan","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lindsay-lohan","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan"},"relegenceId":1076550,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lindsay-lohan/"},{"name":"Alicia Keys","slug":"alicia-keys","links":{"relativeLink":"news/alicia-keys","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-keys/"},{"name":"jinkx monsoon","slug":"jinkx-monsoon","links":{"relativeLink":"news/jinkx-monsoon","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jinkx-monsoon/"}],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
The second we heard that Rosie Thomas and Sufjan Stevens had teamed up to record a Christmas tune, we knew we were in for something truly devastating. And yet, there was still no preparing for quite how much of an emotional listen this would be.
On We Should Be Together, Rosie sings from the perspective of someone who’s hoping for a Yuletide reconciliation, after a pivotal relationship came to an end in the summer, with some truly heartbreaking lyrics comparing the relationship to a Christmas jumper the protagonist has spent the last year working on.
Between the lyrics and the beautiful way Rosie and Sufjan’s voices complement one another, We Should Be Together is an extremely effective festive effort. Admittedly, it’s probably a little too sad to stick on between Slade and Wizzard (unless you fancy crying into your turkey on Christmas day), but it’s the perfect soundtrack to a moody walk in the snow.
Advertisement
Sample lyric: “The pieces wouldn’t fit, not enough fit to make it through a winter, we’ve pulled this thread too long to let it come undone now, I still believe we still belong someway, somehow, so I’ll be home for Christmas time…”
Lizzo told a Canadian crowd on Friday that she’s minding her “fat Black beautiful business” following Kanye West’s comments about her weight in a bizarre Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson.
“Let’s get aside from the fact whether it’s fashion and vogue, which it’s not, or if someone thinks it’s attractive, to each his own, it’s actually clinically unhealthy,” the rapper said.
Lizzo used her Toronto stop during The Special Tour on Friday to seemingly address Kanye’s comments and expressed her desire to stay in Canada, TMZ reported.
“I feel like everybody in America got my motherfucking name in they motherfucking mouth for no motherfucking reason, I’m minding my fat Black beautiful business” the pop star said.
She later inquired if she can stay in the country and asked the crowd who she can marry for dual citizenship.
On the track Heated, which was co-written with Drake, the pop star can be heard singing an ableist and offensive term: “S**zzin’ on that ass, s**z on that ass. Fan me quick, girl, I need my glass.”
Advertisement
It comes just months after singer Lizzo made headlines for using the same derogatory term in a song. Following an uproar, Lizzo listened to feedback, apologised for using it and recorded a new version without it.
Charities championing disabled people called on Beyoncé to edit the lyrics and record a new version.
The term derives from the word ‘spastic’ and is particularly hurtful to those who actually experience spasms, which can be incredibly painful and disruptive to daily life, as Imani Barbarin, who has spastic diplegia (a form of cerebral palsy), explains below.
Ok, so here’s what I have to say about Sp*z as a word: if you’re going to call yourself one, really go all in… pic.twitter.com/9VpwjK2lkT
— Imani Barbarin, MAGC | Crutches&Spice ♿️ (@Imani_Barbarin) June 13, 2022
Advertisement
Words matter. Research by disability equality charity Scope found 72% of disabled people have experienced negative attitudes or behaviour in the last five years – with nine in 10 of these saying it had a negative effect on their daily lives.
Hannah Diviney, from Sydney, was one of the first people to call Lizzo out for her use of the word in a song.
The disability advocate and writer said the same mistake by Beyoncé – who is arguably one of the most famous people on the planet and a role model to many – “feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community and the progress we tried to make with Lizzo”.
“Guess I’ll just keep telling the whole industry to ‘do better’ until ableist slurs disappear from music,” she tweeted.
So @Beyonce used the word ‘spaz’ in her new song Heated. Feels like a slap in the face to me, the disabled community & the progress we tried to make with Lizzo. Guess I’ll just keep telling the whole industry to ‘do better’ until ableist slurs disappear from music 💔
In a piece published on Hireup, Diviney wrote: “It’s not very often that I don’t know what to say, rendered speechless by ignorance, sadness and a simmering anger born of bone-deep exhaustion. But that’s how I feel right now.”
She continued: “Beyoncé’s commitment to storytelling musically and visually is unparalleled, as is her power to have the world paying attention to the narratives, struggles and nuanced lived experience of being a black woman – a world I can only ever understand as an ally, and have no desire to overshadow.
“But that doesn’t excuse her use of ableist language – language that gets used and ignored all too often.”
Fans agree that it’s not about getting artists like Beyoncé and Lizzo cancelled, more about educating that the words they use matter.
David Swanson via Reuters
Lizzo poses on the red carpet at the BET Awards 2022.
Advertisement
Journalist and author of Crippled, Frances Ryan, said it was “very hard to believe” neither Beyoncé nor anyone in her team didn’t recognise the ableist slur when Lizzo made the same mistake a month ago “and graciously corrected it”.
Krystal-Bella Shaw, writer and founder of Dyspraxia magazine, branded it “disappointing”.
“Beyoncé has no excuse for using the word sp*z in her new song. Considering how public Lizzo went for the use in her song and for her removing it… this is disappointing,” she tweeted. “Why are disabled people constantly having to fight for ableist slurs to stop being used?”
Charities supporting disabled people also condemned the use of the term.
Ahead of Beyoncé’s statement that she’ll remove the lyric, Bethany Bale, policy and campaigns officer at Disability Rights UK, told HuffPost UK: “Ableist slurs are unacceptable in any context, especially in 2022 when many artists have already publicly learnt from past mistakes and educated others on the power of derogatory language in the process.
“It’s disappointing to see Beyoncé using an ableist slur so soon after Lizzo’s new single ‘Grrrls’ highlighted the hurt this language causes the Disabled community and others.
“We hope that, like Lizzo, Beyoncé will educate herself on the meaning and history behind this language and decide to edit her lyrics.”
Advertisement
Warren Kirwan, media manager at Scope, said it was “appalling” that ”one of the world’s biggest stars has chosen to include this deeply offensive term”. Like Ryan, he said it’s hard to believe that could have gone unnoticed by Beyoncé’s team.
“Words matter because they reinforce the negative attitudes disabled people face every day, and which impact on every aspect of disabled people’s lives,” Kirwan told HuffPost UK.
“Beyoncé has long been a champion of inclusivity and equality, so we’d urge her to remove this offensive lyric.”
In a statement to Insider, a representative for the Grammy award-winning singer confirmed the lyric will be changed.
“The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced,” the statement said.
Let’s hope that’s the last time a global superstar sings it.
The two stars looked resplendent in pink fake fur as they belted out the disco classic at the festival in the Colorado Desert.
And if that wasn’t enough, the pair also treated the adoring crowd to a cover of One Direction’s debut hit, What Makes You Beautiful, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Following their performance, Lizzo shared a selfie on Instagram of her on stage with with Harry.
“Proud of you @harrystyles. Thank u for having me,” she captioned the snap.
Harry and Lizzo’s friendship goes way back, starting when the former 1D star performed a cover of Lizzo’s Juice for his BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session in December 2019.
The following month, the two stars performed Juice in Miami during Lizzo’s Super Bowl concert, and then Lizzo Covered Harry’s hit Adore You during her BBC Radio 1 session.
Both Harry and Lizzo have new albums on the way. Harry’s third solo album, Harry’s House is released on 20 May, while Lizzo’s Special follows on 15 July.
When singer Niall Horan interviewed Lizzo, she turned the exchange into more of a flirty speed date.
Niall guest-hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Lizzo was impressed with his skills.
“This is the sexiest call I’ve ever been on,” she said, to which the Irish singer replied, “Me too, geez, I’m getting hot in this nutmeg-colored suit.”
Lizzo was OK with his attire.
“Nothing’s sexier than nutmeg!” she laughed.
Things got steamier during the interview, especially after Lizzo noted that her fans were called “Lizzbians.”
Niall, who started his career in the boy band One Direction, joked that he called his followers the “Horandogs.” In response, Lizzo blurted this blush-inducer: “I think you’re giving me a One Erection, baby!”
Tuesday’s virtual interview wasn’t their first encounter. Lizzo remembered at their first meeting, Niall told her, “Congratulations, Lizzo. You’re smashing it.”
Lizzo’s response? “I was like, ‘I’ll smash you,’” she remembered as Niall laughed.
Both singers’ fan bases have tried to pair them up, so Niall made a test to determine their compatibility. They both agreed that if they were married, they wouldn’t make the other sign a prenup — but Lizzo said she would never want to get to the fart-in-front-of-each-other stage of intimacy.
But she had her reasons.
“First of all, I don’t fart. I have rose air that kind of just, it’s like a nice breeze,” the singer joked.
Niall felt differently: “You can do whatever you want in front of me, girl!”
