MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Christina Aguilera sprinkles holiday magic with concert special, Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris

The holiday season has arrived, and while Mariah continues to have it on lock, there’s another diva who’s sprinkling some of her magic this year. Christina Aguilera is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her Christmas album My Kind of Christmas with a concert special set in Paris that is hitting movie theatres across the US this month.

It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten any new recordings from Christina. Since her 2022 Spanish album AGUILERA, she has mostly focused on spot concert dates and her Las Vegas residency which ran at Voltaire throughout 2024. Aside from an anniversary collection last summer, we haven’t gotten any recordings period, let alone new music. A crime if you ask me, given she is very clearly still in peak form vocally, a testament to the way she takes care of her voice, but nonetheless, it feels sometimes like we are being deprived of her talent because of how much time she takes between projects. Her last full-length English album was more than seven years ago with 2018’s Liberation, so it’s certainly time for something fresh. We may not be getting a new album just yet, but a new Christmas live album is on its way, and that is just the right amount of diva to hold us over a little longer. Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris hits theatres on December 14th and 21st, with a live album recorded at the Eiffel Tower to accompany it. Now that she’s graduated into the “legacy” era of her career, it’s been interesting to see the creative choices she’s been making. She recently made the move to 5020 Records after being with the more major RCA Records for more than two decades, and has been focusing on creative vision rather than commercial success. There’s a layer of pressure that disappears when you can just create for the joy of creating, and that’s something that Christina has always been very vocal about being of the upmost importance to her.

Christina first burst onto the scene in 1999, and quickly followed up her massive success with two releases the following year. Her first Spanish album Mi Reflejo and My Kind of Christmas were released within months of each other and each were big sellers. My Kind of Christmas was certified Platinum in the USA, reaching the top spot of the Holiday Albums chart. Now that she finally released a second Spanish record, it only feels natural that a follow-up Christmas album would come. If my math is mathing correctly, this means that we may finally be getting a new album soon. Manifestation works. In the meantime, pour a glass of eggnog and get the vinyl player out, it’s time to get festive with Christina.

Next week, the holiday vibes continue as Kylie Minogue releases an extended version of her own Christmas album, while her former duet partner Nick Cave releases a new record. This week along with Christina we have new tunes from Prince Royce & Romeo Santos, Central Cee, Rachel Chinouriri and Madonna. Plus, this week’s viral choreography that is giving Gwen Stefani and Eve another moment on the charts.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“My Favorite Things (Live from The Eiffel Tower)” by Christina Aguilera

Whiskers on kittens, crisp apple strudels, and Christina Aguilera, a list of my favourite things this holiday season and now we get them in the same package. Christina proves once again that she can turn any song into a grand event with her powerful vocals soaring, making the song her own. “My Favorite Things” is the first release from her upcoming Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris, in honour of the 25th anniversary of her first Christmas album. Performed in front of an intimate audience of 250 fans at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Christina is stepping into the tradition of the big band holiday sounds of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and The Sound of Music for this project. She has always been equally a visual artist as she is a vocal one, so the opportunity to see her imagination come to fruition with festive holiday cheer is the exact amount of jolly goodness I need this Christmas. Christina has dabbled in the world of Jazz and Big Band throughout her career, most prominently on the 2006 smash album Back to Basics, her “Baby Jane” alter-ego era. Christmas in Paris is Christina as Baby Jane in 2025, this time as a mother and a seasoned performer. Her devotion to her artistry has always been inspiring to me, going the extra mile for every project she commits to. They come few and far between in recent years, but the level of quality stays the same, and how could it not with that unmistakable voice. It’s a voice I fell in love with in pre-school, and has followed me throughout my whole life. Who doesn’t love comfort during the holidays?

“Estocolmo” by Romeo Santos, Prince Royce

Romeo Santos just has a way with his vocals that make me need to hit the dance floor. Together with Prince Royce, the boys have crafted a joint album Better Late Than Never that fulfills a decades-long wish from fans. It’s giving Brandy & Monica, but of the Latin world, a musical marriage if you will. They may have their differences or personal projects that get in the way, but they do usually eventually come around. I am still waiting on the Britney and Christina dream to come true, but we’ll manifest that another time. The lead single from Romeo and Royce’s project is “Estocolmo”. The song is in Spanish, it’s the “save the princess from her tower” trope, and who better to play a princess in need of rescuing than everyone’s (second) favorite Islander, Amaya Papaya. Sorry but if Olandria Carthen isn’t your top choice we have to have a conversation lol. Having said this, it’s always great to see Amaya shining in her endeavors, and stepping into the role of a leading lady. Plus, a music video doesn’t require any actual acting so she can just serve us beauty and grace and stay winning. I also would love for Romeo Santos and Prince Royce to come rescue me with their Bachata tunes and natural charisma, just saying.

“Booga” by Central Cee

Where UK rap is concerned, Central Cee’s worldwide appeal has grown to new heights this year. His debut album Can’t Rush Greatness reached the top 10 in America, and he embarked on a sold out tour (Drake even stopped by at the Toronto show). Now he’s tying up 2025 with a stand-alone single release and a star-studded music video including cameos from Finessekid and Skepta (my crush). Fans are speculating that lyrics in the song make references to his alleged rivalry with Digga D, a fellow UK rapper. The song is just him spitting his rhymes in a sharp and affective way, and perhaps the best part is that it doesn’t have a hook. It’s like a hypnotic freestyle that’s just short enough to keep you locked in for its entirety. He’s flexing his origins and the accomplishments he made as an independent artist on lines like “I made Ms off rap, I’m stable I done it, no label, when I was unsigned”, all of which of course has led him to the moment he’s in now in his career. He did eventually sign to a major label, but instead of him trying to get them to give him a chance, it was the other way around. That, my friends, is what we call a flex. Many fans believe this release to be a bridge between the last album and what’s to come from Cench in 2026, so it clear that his rhymes show no sign of slowing down any time soon. We’re living in a time where hip-hop isn’t charting as well as it once was, but I’ve always believed the UK rap scene to be an incubator of the greatest underrated gems. If anyone can help bring hip-hop back to the top of the charts, it’s this lot.

“Love Won’t Wait (Original Demo Edit)” by Madonna

Nobody does an anniversary release like Madonna, who has been showering fans with expanded editions of her classic records for years now. It’s 1994’s Bedtime Stories turn, and selfishly, my favourite album of hers. After dropping “Right On Time”, one of the scrapped Dallas Austin recordings, she promised more remixes and unreleased demos which are now available. The most enticing of the bunch is “Love Won’t Wait”, one of the Shep Pettibone demos that never made the final cut. Madonna and Shep did some incredible work together on the Erotica album and intended to create the same magic for Bedtime Stories. They recorded a bunch of songs together, but Madge decided to work with more current R&B producers at the time, and all of her work with Shep was left off the project. This is with the exception of the eventual lead single “Secret”, which ended up getting a Dallas Austin facelift but Shep’s credit remains. “Love Won’t Wait” certainly has an R&B touch to it, but is more pop than any of the songs that did make the album. The track is a total disco ballad that has a Motown-like sound and melody, like a comfortable Sunday morning. The sound that did eventually define the era would be more similar to the works of TLC. Madonna’s musical instincts in the mid 90s were impeccable, and it shows in the result of her albums from that time. When even the unreleased songs hit hard, you know you’ve got something special. At this point, Madonna’s songs from the cutting room floor have a career of their own for the music nerds like myself. She is however planning on releasing a part two to her Confessions on a Dance Floor album next year, so we won’t be waiting for new tunes from the queen of pop for much longer.

“Little House” by Rachel Chinouriri

Rachel is baring her soul on her newest single “Little House”, a song she says she wrote about her boyfriend. Rachel blew up a few years back due to some viral Tik Tok tracks, but her star has only risen especially in the UK. Performed over an acoustic guitar, Rachel’s vocals evoke a dreamy tone that sounds both peaceful and angelic. This is the vocal equivalent to those “soft love” memes that float around Instagram, the type of love that feels natural and puts your spirit at ease and ready to surrender to your significant other. “In the flickering candlelight, my heart’s for you tonight” is her doing just that. The song is part of a new EP of the same name, with the track “Little House” completing a collection of singles she’s been releasing throughout the year. Earlier this year she released “Can we talk about Isaac?”, which serves as the opening track. Is this EP her and Isaac’s love story? It sure sounds like it. In a recent interview when speaking on “Little House” she talked about how intentionally open she’s being about her current love after getting used to be being “quite closed off from all the betrayal from previous relationships”. I think the street term is “jaded as f-ck”, and we’ve all been there. That’s what makes her declaration of love so powerful, that even through all the doubts and the walls she has put up due to her past experiences, true love still found its way to her. When it’s supposed to happen, it just does, and what a motivating message for all the lovers out there. Rachel is currently booked as the opening act for Florence + The Machine’s tour, which is bringing her to North American arenas for the first time. Who doesn’t love a British invasion?

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani, Eve

At this rate it seems like every other month there’s a new viral dance associated with a classic 2000s Gwen Stefani bop. Gen Z’ers have now moved on to “Rich Girl”, the second of her two legendary collaborations with Eve. “Rich Girl” was produced by Dr. Dre and was her first-ever true solo hit. With a hook that samples Fiddler On the Roof, you can’t really go wrong. The song was a huge hit back in 2004 when it peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped put her on the map as a viable solo pop act post-No Doubt. Now in 2025, the kids of TikTok have skyrocketed the track to the top 10 of the Viral 50 chart thanks to a viral dance trend.

The trend has gone viral enough that Gwen herself has taken notice and has been leaving loving messages like “love this” on different creator’s clips. The now viral choreography was put together by TikTok creator @notorlandolucas, and his original clip alone has earned a whopping 7.3 million views, with hundreds of thousands of collaborations and sound uses. It’s all very 2025 in terms of numbers, but stats are stats and they don’t lie. When a song is a banger it doesn’t matter when it came out, there’s always going to be a new generation waiting to discover it. Gwen’s treasure trove of pop smashes are timeless, and have managed to find new life with Gen Z listeners, especially the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album. Unfortunately for today’s generation of teens, they aren’t getting the glory days of Gwen that many of us got to experience. Gwen’s busy spending her days on Oklahoma ranch with Blake Shelton and promoting the Hallow bible app alongside Chris Pratt and Mark Wahlberg. Call me crazy but I’ve always hated when religion and money gets mixed together. An app where you pay to pray is a little cringe sure, but it does seem like an authentic project for her at this stage in her life. At least we’ll always have the music, and I’m grateful for that.