Kacey Musgraves built A Very Kacey Christmas around a simple idea: a throwback record that sounds like it came from a simpler time. The songs are mostly covers, picked for their warmth and their hooks, and arranged to play through as one long listen. It is a record about comfort, not reinvention.
Opening With a Ballad
The album opens with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a quiet, piano-led ballad that sets the tone for the whole record. “Let It Snow” follows with a lightness that feels effortless, and “Christmas Don’t Be Late” moves things along with a steady swing.
The Middle Run
“A Willie Nice Christmas” is a country original, warm and unhurried, while “Feliz Navidad” keeps the energy up with a festive, driving rhythm. “Christmas Makes Me Cry” slows things down again, a gentle ballad that earns its title honestly.
“Present Without a Bow” is one of the record’s highlights, a wry, conversational take on gift-giving that shows Musgraves’ wit. “Mele Kalikimaka” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” are both slight but charming, the latter a novelty number that lands better than it has any right to. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a solid, straightforward reading of the classic, and “Ribbons and Bows” closes the main run with a cheerful, acoustic finish.
Closing With a Question
“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” ends the album on a note of mild curiosity rather than triumph, a fitting close to a record that never tries too hard.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | 3:01 |
| Let It Snow | 2:23 |
| Christmas Don’t Be Late | 2:11 |
| A Willie Nice Christmas | 3:24 |
| Feliz Navidad | 3:22 |
| Christmas Makes Me Cry | 2:51 |
| Present Without a Bow | 3:52 |
| Mele Kalikimaka | 2:53 |
| I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas | 2:26 |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 3:26 |
| Ribbons and Bows | 3:30 |
| What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? | 4:28 |
The Verdict
Musgraves’ goal was to make a record that felt nostalgic and warm, and she largely succeeds. The sequencing works in her favor, letting the album play through as one continuous listen rather than a collection of singles. The originals, especially “A Willie Nice Christmas” and “Present Without a Bow,” stand out as some of the best work on the record.
“I really wanted to create a whimsical throwback holiday record, one that evokes feelings of nostalgia and simpler times.”
That is exactly what she made. This is a record that knows what it wants to be, and it delivers on that promise almost entirely.
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- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas3:01
- Let It Snow2:23
- Christmas Don't Be Late2:11
- A Willie Nice Christmas3:24
- Feliz Navidad3:22
- Christmas Makes Me Cry2:51
- Present Without a Bow3:52
- Mele Kalikimaka2:53
- I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas2:26
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer3:26
- Ribbons and Bows3:30
- What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?4:28
