Wrapped in Red

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Wrapped in Red is Kelly Clarkson’s first Christmas album and her sixth studio album. It was released in late October 2013 by RCA Records and produced entirely by Greg Kurstin. The record blends Clarkson’s pop roots with jazz, country, and soul influences to create a festive, vintage sound inspired by classic Christmas records.

What the album includes
- 16 tracks total, with five original songs co-written by Clarkson and eleven covers of Christmas standards and carols.
- Five original songs: Wrapped in Red (title track), Underneath the Tree, Every Christmas, 4 Carats, and Winter Dreams (Brandon’s Song). These originals explore love, joy, and holiday wishes.
- Duets and collaborations: a duet on Baby, It’s Cold Outside with Ronnie Dunn, and a trio on Silent Night with Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.
- Classic covers: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Blue Christmas, Run Run Rudolph, Please Come Home for Christmas (Bells Will Be Ringing), White Christmas, My Favorite Things, and a rendition of Just for Now by Imogen Heap that begins with Carol of the Bells.
- Deluxe edition adds I’ll Be Home for Christmas (from her iTunes Session) and a portion of Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.

Behind the music
- Producer Greg Kurstin worked with Clarkson to push beyond her usual pop sound and bring a wide range of styles, including jazz influences from his own background. Clarkson sang all her own background vocals.
- The project intentionally draws on vintage Christmas sounds, with Kurstin and Clarkson aiming for a “Wall of Sound” feel reminiscent of Phil Spector’s productions.
- Clarkson chose a red color theme for the album and wrote about how Christmas can be a fresh start, exploring different moods and emotions through the music.
- The title track was inspired by a scene from the movie Love Actually, and the album as a whole borrows ideas from classic Christmas albums by artists like Mariah Carey and Reba McEntire.

Release, formats, and promotion
- International release: October 25, 2013. U.S. release: October 29, 2013.
- The album was promoted with a TV special, Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale, filmed in Las Vegas and broadcast on NBC in December 2013.
- A red vinyl edition was released, followed by a deluxe LP and CD edition with extras. A green vinyl edition was issued later.
- In 2014, a Walmart-exclusive edition added a CD+DVD package. A green LP limited release also appeared that year.
- Singles: The leading single was Underneath the Tree, released in November 2013. A year later, the title track Wrapped in Red was released as the second single.

Critical and commercial reception
- Critics generally liked the album, praising Clarkson’s vocal performance and the nostalgic, “big Christmas sound.” Metacritic scores put it in the favorable range.
- Many reviewers highlighted the original songs as strong points, with some calling Wrapped in Red one of the best Christmas albums of its time.
- In the United States, the album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart. It was certified Platinum and became the best-selling Christmas album of 2013 in the U.S., selling over 700,000 copies in its first months and more than 940,000 copies by 2017.
- Canada also gave the album a strong reception, with a top-five debut and solid sales. In other countries like the UK, Australia, and Switzerland, the album charted more modestly.
- Twelve tracks from the album appeared on various holiday charts during the 2013 season, with several songs becoming radio or digital favorites.

Why it stands out
- Wrapped in Red shows Clarkson exploring a broader musical palette than her previous pop-rock work, embracing jazz, soul, and country textures while staying true to festive pop.
- The five original songs, co-written by Clarkson, give the album a personal touch and help it feel like a new Christmas classic, not just a collection of covers.
- Clarkson’s choice to record much of the album with a single producer and her own background vocals gives the project a cohesive, warm, vintage mood that many listeners find inviting during the holidays.

In short
Wrapped in Red is a holiday standout from Kelly Clarkson, blending original songs with beloved Christmas standards in a warm, retro-inspired sound. It earned strong sales, positive reviews, and a place in many listeners’ annual Christmas playlists, helped by Clarkson’s bright vocals and Kurstin’s lush, classic production.