You Make It Feel Like Christmas

Album: You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017)
Charted: 69 46
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title track of Gwen Stefani's yuletide album You Make It Feel Like Christmas, this happy festive love song features Gwen Stefani's boyfriend, and fellow The Voice star Blake Shelton. The duet finds the two lovebirds trading lines during the verses, then harmonizing on the chorus and bridge.
  • The track was written by Stefani and Shelton with Justin Tranter and busbee. Production was handled by busbee and Eric Valentine. Stefani told Billboard magazine how after penning her intensely personal 2016 album This Is What the Truth Feels Like, she decided to record a Christmas record.

    "It was really a whim. The way it works is you have to get it done really early, and I had no idea that I would be able to write so quickly, because I'm such a slow writer," she explained. "It just came right out. I did six songs in three sessions."
  • The song was originally written by Blake Shelton. Gwen Stefani recalled during an interview with KYXY 96.5's AJ in the Morning in San Diego: "[Blake] was sitting on his bus, I guess, and he began writing [the song] 'You Make it Feel Like Christmas,' which he sends to me in a voice text. 'I had no idea that he was going to be working on anything. It was a shock and when I listened to the song, it was incredible. I was like, 'You just wrote a hit, like this song, what do you do, you just sit around on your bus, writing hits? What a jerk!' I was jealous, you know what I mean? I want to do that."
  • Speaking on Entertainment Tonight, Shelton insisted his lyrical contribution was minimal. "I sent Gwen a couple of lines of the song. She took it and made the song what it is. I just sent her an idea," he said. "She tries to say that I co-wrote it, but I just sang on it."
  • "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" gradually gained popularity following its release in 2017. It entered charts worldwide for the first time over Christmas 2024, including in the US (#50) and the UK (#69).

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.