Pentatonix Christmas in the City Listening Party!

FEAR was heavy. I love it, I feel it but it was intense. It's uncomfortably close to what life has been feeling like for me this past year. I've been listening to the song FEAR on repeat especially when some stuff happened this weekend that made me really upset and feeling very alone, overlooked, uncared for and abandoned. It made me think "I have NO ONE. No one who really cares about me. I'm told things to my face and then forgotten about the second they walk out of the room. So, I'm done. I'm done reaching out and sounding super desperate. I'll just do it on my own, like always." 

So yeah. Not feeling in the best of spirits. Been making lots of selfish mistakes, binge eating my feelings away and isolating.

SO. In an effort to feel a little better, I've decided to do another listening party! It's holiday time and I want to enjoy all the Christmas music while I can because I'm ready for it! I haven't listened to my faves BRAND NEW Christmas album (that dropped last month!) Pentatonix's Christmas In the City so that's what I'm going to do now to help lift my spirits (and stop me from binge eating junk food and watching trashy reality TV). 

I'll be honest with this little disclaimer: I have heard small snippets of the most of the songs since PTX has been sharing their Christmas joy with us since October where I was nowhere NEAR ready to listen but was still keeping up with what they had going on. I'm a little nervous that I'm not going to love this album the way I have everything else. From the small samples i have heard it sounds like the majority of the tracks are originals which isn't a bad thing, we know PTX can write an absolute Christmas classic! Buuuut...I personally haven't been super impressed with what I've heard thus far 😬 From what I've heard, it sounds a bit cheesy I hate to say 🙈 But let's give this a fair, full, honest shot!

Snow: From White Christmas! It's short but a brilliant lead into their first original song....

Christmas in the City: I've heard this chorus a lot as it's the title track of the album so it's been used in all their Christmas promo stuff. I'm excited to hear the actual song in full! OK....I have to admit, that was MAGICAL! ✨🎄 A fun, repeater for sure this season! I was smiling the whole way through! I love the fast paced singing of the chorus and just everything they described in the verses...cozy, classic Christmas things. I have to admit, I felt a little sad while hearing them describe all of the fun festive things to do this holiday with your "baby"....my relationship status has been a MAJOR source of my depression and anxiety this year, more than ever before. So anything that references love and romance automatically puts me in my sad feels. I can't even remind myself that I have family to do these things with because it's really just not he same. Especially when everyone is in a relationship but you. I'm trying not to focus on that because this song was truly AMAZING, PTX doesn't miss! It had instruments which elevated the excitment of celebrating Christmas and and made the song sound so big and theatrical, like being in a busy city at Christmas time! This song was GREAT!

Holly Jolly Christmas: FANTASTIC! The big band vibe was so different and fun! Obsessed. I have noticed they have been using a lot more instrumentals in their last couple of projects so it makes me wonder if they are no longer going to focus on being an "acapella" group. I don't think so, as that's kind of been their shtick for the last 12 years...I think they're really just trying to focus on the classic Hollywood, "city" vibe for the album. Either way, they're still totally "SLEIGH-ing" it, as always! 😉 

Santa Be Good to My Baby: I'm assuming another original...I'm trying not to get in the sad-single feels. Just embrace it for what it is and stop being so pitiful. OK, pep talk over. Let's hear it! It is what I feared it would be but...IT'S SO FUN I can't compalin! This album has such a classic, ol-school vibe. Think Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby but with a lot of glitz and glam, sax and trumpets! I'm really, really loving it so far and that makes me so happy!!

Bah Humbug: I've heard a bit of this song and am super excited to hear the whole story about one of my favorite, most relatable classic Christmas characters! INSTANT CLASSIC!! I'M OBSESSED!! I loved every single thing about this song!! This is one of those songs that just made me smile the whole time and feels like it's curing my depression in real time! THANK YOU for this one PTX!! The ending was giving gospel, Hallelujah, praise the Lord vibes! Love, love, love!! Why did I have any worries or doubts, they ALWAYS deliver! This was a GIFT!!

Snowing in Paris (feat. JoJo): I'm not the biggest JoJo fan...and Paris make me think of lovers so I'm not feeling super stoked for this one but let's give it a listen...well, yet again, it was as I feared but dang it! I can't help but like it! It's like the perfect romantic fantasy...this will be in a Hallmark movie someday in the future, mark my words, haha. And shout out to JoJo, her pronunciation and "accent" was *chefs kiss* C'est parfait! They nailed the "French sound" brilliantly! From the instruments to all of the French words, landmarks, etc. Yeeeeah...it was really, really good. It did get me in my sad feels, I can't lie tho. 

Christmas Movie: No idea what to expect with this one! Kind of exciting!! BRILLIANT!! OBSESSED! The references to the Christmas movie (Home Alone, Love Actually, It's A Wonderful Life) was SO creative. Even though this was yet another Christmas "love song" the creativity in this was too good, I couldn't be mad about it! One of my favorite parts was after the second chorus (which ends with "ain't this a Wonderful Life) they start singing "Hey baby, won't you come out tonight, come out tonight!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? If you don't get it, it's referencing the scene from the movie It's A Wonderful Life when George Baily and Mary are walking home from the dance singing "Buffalo Girls won't you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight?" GAH!! I love that so much!!! This album is SO FUN!! I'm so happy listening to this!!! Shout out to Scott for having a writing credit on literally every original song! He is in his element!

Caroling, Caroling: I'm excited for this one!! This is one of my favorite Nat King Cole songs, it always makes me feel so warm and nostalgic inside when I hear it. Takes me right back to being a kid. I hope their interptation is good (feeling pretty confident it will be but, you never know...)...wait! This was so short!! 😭 It was like an intermission or something. Awww, that makes me sad! I wanted more!!

The Love Medley: Oh great, more romance 😒 I can't escape it because I'm the only human on this planet who can't relate to this universal feeling...ew. The beginning of this sounds exactly like the love theme/romantic music from every old movie ever made. So strong start....my personal issues aside, this was FANTASTIC! Gorgeous. Classic. Absolute perfection, Matt and Kirstie are STARS! Songs included in this romantic medley: "Dream a Little Dream of Me," "I'll Never Stop Loving You," "I'll Be Seeing You," "Unchained Melody," "L-O-V-E," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"

Silver Bells: CLASSIC PTX! This felt like old-school PTX. Fun, original, enough of a twist to make it their own, but still the classic we all know and love! This was a good one with a HUGE finish! The energy is off the charts on this album!

I've Go My Love To Keep Me Warm: This one's with Frank Sinatra!! Of course it is. Only PTX can collaborate with the Posthumously best like Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Whitney Houston and freaking FRANK SINATRA! Well this was just perfect! The vibes and pacing of this album is incredible! I don't have anything else to say, this was a treat!! Classic, nostalgic. What more could you want?

Moody Rudy: Read that this is a mashup of Chuck Berry's "Run Run Rudolph" and another song I've never heard called "In the Mood" by Glen Miller. PTX are the BEST when it comes to their mashups/medleys so I'm excited! AH! This album is pure JOY! Ok, so I guess "In the Mood" is a non-lyrical music peice and I've defintiley heard it before. This was just...yet again, SO FUN! They can do no wrong. They even had some original lyrics in there and they were great! Their creativty is on another level! It was uppity and fast paced and just a good time! Again, remidns me of old-school PTX arranging and I'm always here for it! Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the new sound but I'm also a long time fan, so I can get the nostalgic feels sometimes. 

Blitzen: Something about me, I LOVE reindeer! Rudolph has always been a favorite of mine since childhood; the classic animated film, the song, just him in general! I guess its because I'm an animal lover but whenever I see anything to do with reindeer during this season it just makes me feel like a kid again and makes me so happy! So, I'm curious to hear a song about another one of Santa's reindeer...immdeiatley right off the bat, this is giving me "Hot Chocolate" from The Polar Express energy/vibes 😊 So that's a promising start! Dang! That started out at a million miles per hour, haha! Short, fun and sweet! Another WINNER!

Elf: Pure child-like fun! A little cheesy, but if you've ever been with kids around this time of year who have an infamous Elf...you get it! I like it!

Humankind: I think this will be a non-Christmasy song, but contain universal messages of peace, love and kindness which are themes of Christmas so it works. Scott is channeling his inner Frank Sinatra 😍 "I'll stay human, I'll stay kind." 💓 Beautiful and dramatic with Sinatra flair! Think "I Did it My Way" but with a better message, haha

Christmas Classics Medley: Awww, the final song! 😢 Always bittersweet. Seriously?? We're starting off with acapella Mitch singing the Carpenters classic "Merry Christmas Darling"? OK. This is gonna be good...yep. This was perfect. This is one I will be listening to on Christmas Eve night snuggled up next to the fireplace. The ending throwing it back to Snow from the beginning??😭 STOP! This was PERFECT!! Pure Christmas magic 🎄✨ As only PTX can 🤍 Songs included: "Merry Christmas Darling", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas", "Snow"

This totally helped get me in the holiday spirit!! I can't wait to listen to it all again! Another winning Christmas album from the Kings and Queens of Christmas! NEVER STOP CHRISTMASING PTX!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!