Santa, Can't You Hear Me

Last updated

"Santa, Can't You Hear Me"
Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande - Santa Can't You Hear Me single cover.jpeg
Single by Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande
from the album When Christmas Comes Around...
ReleasedDecember 9, 2022 (2022-12-09)
Recorded2021
Genre
Length4:02
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jason Halbert
Kelly Clarkson singles chronology
"9 to 5 [1] "
(2022)
"Santa, Can't You Hear Me"
(2022)
"Mine" / "Me"
(2023)
Ariana Grande singles chronology
"It Was a... (Masked Christmas)"
(2021)
"Santa, Can't You Hear Me"
(2022)
"Die for You" (remix)
(2023)

"Santa, Can't You Hear Me" is a duet by American singers Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande. It is the second single from Clarkson's ninth studio album and second Christmas album, When Christmas Comes Around... (2021). The song was written by Clarkson with Aben Eubanks, with the song's track recording was produced by Jason Halbert. [2]

Contents

Release and reception

"Santa, Can't You Hear Me" was written by Clarkson with Aben Eubanks and produced by Jason Halbert. [3] Following filming the 21st season of the American reality television series The Voice , Clarkson invited Grande to record the track with her. [4] "Santa, Can't You Hear Me" was released by Atlantic Records on October 15, 2021, the day of the album's release. [5] An uptempo big band pop Christmas anthem, the song lyrics sing of an appeal to Santa Claus. Instead of material gifts, the singers ask for answers on how they can achieve their outmost desire for Christmas, which is love. [6] [7] [8]

Reception

Upon its release, Randee Dawn of Today remarked that the song is exactly what one might expect from the singers, writing that it "bounces off each other with full-throated harmonies and high notes alike" and ends with a "big band-sounding flourish that will leave one's heart pounding for more. [7] Reviewing the album for Vulture , Justin Curto highlighted the track as sounding as big as one would expect it to be. [9]

In her review of the track on iHeartRadio, Ariel King wrote that the song proves both the singers' talent and what makes them such "incredible powerhouses" is how they perfectly blend their vocals for "a captivating listen". [10] A.D. Amorosi of Variety wrote that the live version of the song sounds "more lustrous than its studio version", thanks to Clarkson "edgy alto" and Grande "flitting, breezy voice for a surprisingly (for holiday music) improvisational vibe". [11]

Glamour UK listed the song as one of the "Best Christmas Songs Ever". [12] Cosmopolitan listed the song on the best "50 Modern Christmas Songs". [13]

Live performances

On December 1, 2021, the two singers performed the song during Clarkson's When Christmas Comes Around Christmas special which premiered on NBC as promotion for the album. [14] [15]

On December 13, 2022, Clarkson performed the song solo on the twenty-second season finale of The Voice . [16] On December 15, 2022, Clarkson performed the song solo on The Kelly Clarkson Show. [17] On November 30, 2023, Clarkson performed the song solo at the Rockefeller Centre Tree Lighting in New York City, broadcast on NBC.[ citation needed ]

Music video

A music video was expected to be released.[ volume & issue needed ]

Personnel

Credits lifted from When Christmas Comes Around... liner notes [18]

Charts

Chart performance for "Santa, Can't You Hear Me"
Chart (2022–2024)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [19] 38
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [20] 32
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [21] 71
Canada AC ( Billboard ) [22] 8
Germany (Official German Charts) [23] 30
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [24] 47
Greece International (IFPI) [25] 59
Ireland (IRMA) [26] 13
Lithuania (AGATA) [27] 59
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [28] 50
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [29] 37
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [30] 84
South Korea (Gaon) [31] 165
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [32] 26
UK Singles (OCC) [33] 23
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) [34] 76
US Billboard Hot 100 [35] 76
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [36] 11
US Holiday 100 ( Billboard ) [37] 51

Certifications

Certifications for "Santa, Can't You Hear Me"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [38] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, release format, catalog, and label
RegionDateFormat(s)VersionLabelRef.
VariousOctober 15, 2021 Streaming Original Atlantic [39]
December 2, 2022
Live [40]
December 9, 2022Original [41] [42] [43]

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Aben Eubanks is an American Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, and producer. Eubanks began his career as a guitarist for Matt Nathanson in 2004 and for Graham Colton in 2005. In 2006, Eubanks joined Kelly Clarkson's band and together co-wrote several songs including "Sober" from the My December album, "Under the Mistletoe" a duet with Brett Eldredge, "Santa, Can't You Hear Me", a duet with Ariana Grande, both songs charted on the Billboard Holiday Hot 100. and appeared on the album When Christmas Comes Around which was nominated for a 2023 Grammy for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Eubanks also co-wrote "Broken Hearts" with Shane McAnally and Ashley Arrison, which Chevel Shepherd performed on the fifteenth season of The Voice, which reached number one on the Billboard Country Digital Songs Sales Chart. "Lighthouse", cowritten by Eubanks, is the first 2024 single from Kelly Clarkson's Chemistry album.

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