With the holiday season quickly approaching, you know it’s time to check out all of the new Christian Christmas albums of 2018. One change you’ll notice with this year’s batch of new Christian Christmas albums is the presence of more EPs and less full albums. This is somewhat expected, given today’s focus on popular singles rather than full albums. Sometimes all you really want from your favorite artist is a Christmas recording with three to five classics. Still, there are a good number of larger recordings this year for any listeners desperate for new holiday material. Here are some of the year’s new Christian Christmas albums.
One of the most anticipated new Christian Christmas albums of 2018 is "The Advent of Christmas" from Matt Maher. What makes this an especially fascinating release is the accompanying book celebrating Advent and Christmas which was published around the same time. While the book is mostly geared at young children, its combination with Maher's CD makes for a full family experience you can enjoy this holiday season and in the future as well. Among the favorites on the album are "Hope for Everyone" and "Born On That Day."
The first EP on our list this year is a three-song collection from the guys in Stars Go Dim. “Christmas is Here” really has the full package for such a short recording. Song #1 is the title track which has the feel for what you want in a modern holiday song. Next up is a very traditional piano-and-strings-led take on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” which you should add to your rotation ASAP. Lastly, “How Glorious the Love of Heaven” is a holiday hymn we know will get your heart right this Christmas season.
The next EP on our list of Christian Christmas albums from 2018 is this follow-up to last year’s “Christmas, Vol. 1.” Planetshakers puts a personal spin on several Christmas classics, starting with a bass-heavy version of “O Come All Ye Faithful” you won’t soon forget. “The First Noel” has a R&B vibe that gets interrupted ⅔ of the way through with an original rap verse addition. “O Holy Night” brings things back to a more traditional tone before “Light of the World” closes things out with a modern mix of dance, hip hop, and pop that is very true to the band’s identity.
Hold on, we’ve still got plenty more EPs and Christian Christmas albums to talk about. Singer David Dunn follows up his 2017 album “Yellow Balloons” with the Christmas EP “Star.” The artist has adopted a particular modern style in his music and it makes itself known throughout the EP. Dunn covers holiday favorites like “Oh Holy Night,” “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” and the “Hallelujah Chorus,” each presented through his unique filter. If listeners want some new songs as well, they can check out the EPs last two offerings, “Star” and “Snowflake.”
One of the many up and coming talents in Christian music is singer Mallary Hope. After releasing her first Christian album in early 2018, she’s back with an inspiring three-song EP. The first song is a title track that celebrates all of the many customs associated with this time of year, but acknowledges they are not what Christmas is really about. This collection also includes an earlier released song, “Just a Baby (Mary’s Song),” which fans will remember fondly. Last up is another song about Jesus’ earthly mother, “Mary Did You Know?,” which adequately shows off Hope’s solid voice. This EP is a great listen for a short ride to work, if that’s what you’re looking for this year.
Hillsong may be one of the most popular names in Christian music today and one of the people responsible for that is Darlene Zschech. Now part of Hope Unlimited Church, Zschech is back for a Christmas album listeners will love. “The Table” is a standard holiday album containing many of our favorite classics all sung by Zschech and other voices from Hope Unlimited Church. With everyone trying to break the holiday mold with EPs, creative alterations of Christmas songs and original music, it’s refreshing to have a full album full of songs played the way you grew up with them. Some of our favorites are “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “The Table.”
Since we’re looking at new Christian Christmas album from 2018, we normally wouldn’t include a re-release of an album for it’s deluxe edition. That being said, Hillsong Worship has added an impressive 15 tracks for this special release of “Christmas: The Peace Project.” Among the new additions are several live performances, a few song reimaginings, and 11 instrumental versions of the original albums tracks. That means this album has just about everything you could want from a Hillsong Worship Christmas record. We especially like the new live version of “O Holy Night” and the instrumental take on “Silent Night (With Saviour King).”
Since many Christmas albums are essentially a list of cover songs, why not go to the guys who perform some of the best covers in Christian music? Anthem Lights has long been putting together stirring collections of hymns, CCM hits, and more. Now they’re back with a new compilation of beautiful Christmas hymns for your seasonal enjoyment. In true Christmas carol fashion, each of the songs on this album are quite short, some even being under three minutes. We really like the mashup of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “We Three Kings” as well as the cover of “Away in a Manger” and the “Christmas Hymns Medley.”
Now for something completely different. This entry on our list of new Christian Christmas albums of 2018 comes from the hip hop collective 116 Clique (or simply 116 in this case). Many of the songs are based around traditional holiday carols but with updates for a different time and genre. “The Gift” features several well-known rappers, from Lecrae to Tedashii and Trip Lee. If your usual holiday playlist is feeling stale or you just appreciate some good Christian rap, this just might be the right choice for you.
Our final album brings things back to the basics, allowing for a young female singer to waltz through all of the established favorites from the winter season. Hannah Kerr provides her talented voice to just about all of the hits on “Christmas Eve in Bethlehem,” including “Winter Wonderland,” “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” and “White Christmas.” Listeners will also find an original composition (“Christmas Eve in Bethlehem”) the singer recorded for an earlier EP in 2017. For our money, the best song on the record is “Emmanuel.”
We hope these new Christian Christmas albums serve you and your family well this holiday season as you wrap gifts, cook meals, and reflect upon the birth of Christ. Music has a special place in our heart during the Christmas season and that’s one of the many reasons why we love hosting the K-LOVE Fan Awards. Each year we celebrate Christian entertainment by bringing together the biggest names and the fans who love their music for a night unlike any other. Find out how you can enjoy the ultimate fan experience by clicking on the link below.
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