Mariah Carey has reworked her 2010 Christmas song “Oh Santa!” The new version features Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson, who also co-wrote the track with Carey. Together, the three powerhouses form a vocal trinity that delivers
avant-garde runs, range, and grit.
The new “Oh Santa!” is featured in Carey’s new Apple TV+ special, fittingly titled Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special. In the festive music video, Carey uses a little holiday magic to conjure up Hudson and Grande to join her in a workshop-style room full of giant presents, toy soldiers and dancing elves.
However, the most iconic moment (possibly of all time) arrives near the end of the video. Carey unleashes her signature whistle notes, which is then perfectly harmonized by Grande’s even higher whistle note (about a half step higher to be exact). This segment has gone viral all over social media as it is the moment Mariah and Ariana fans have always waited for.
This video is exactly what I imagine joy feels and looks like. In a recent interview Carey shared that, “I hope people feel festive when they watch this special, and I hope it helps in some way. Just like any really good Christmas movie or song can lift your spirits, that was the goal here.” She added, “I came to it with the spirit of ‘Let’s make it festive no matter what.’ If you go into anything with that kind of hopefulness, then it’ll happen.”
Stream the vocal trinity’s rendition of, “Oh Santa!,” below!
Should you want even more Christmas cheer, the song is just one part of the brand-new Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special. The soundtrack is also available on Apple Music and will hit other music streaming services on December 11th.
