Kylie Christmas is the thirteenth studio album and first Christmas album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, released on November 13, 2015, by Parlophone. After the release of her twelfth studio album Kiss Me Once, Minogue announced her departure from Parlophone and signed a management deal with the American label Roc Nation. However, she signed an exclusive one-album deal with Parlophone to release Kylie Christmas, with distribution handled by Warner Music Group worldwide and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album features a mix of cover versions and original songs, with thirteen tracks and three bonus songs in total.
The album's lead single, "Only You," a duet with British actor and singer James Corden, was released on November 9, 2015. The second single, "100 Degrees," a duet with Minogue's sister Dannii, was promoted on November 24, and a remix of "Every Day's Like Christmas" was released on December 2, 2015. To promote the album, Minogue performed a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on December 11, 2015. Upon release, Kylie Christmas received generally mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the album's production and original tracks, while others criticized Minogue's lack of innovation and her performances on the duets.
On November 25, 2016, the album was reissued as an expanded version titled Kylie Christmas: Snow Queen Edition. This reissue included six new songs, including a collaboration with British singer-songwriter Mika. The reissue was supported by two additional performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Kylie Christmas marks Minogue's first Christmas album and her thirteenth studio album overall. Although she had previously released Christmas-themed material, including the track "Santa Baby" in 2000, "Let It Snow" in 2010, and two Christmas EPs in 2010 (A Kylie Christmas and A Christmas Gift), Minogue had never released an entire Christmas album before. Speaking with Idolator, Minogue explained that the idea of recording a Christmas album had been in her mind for some time, and it was suggested by a friend during Christmas 2014 in Los Angeles. The idea quickly gained momentum, and Minogue set to work on the album.
Kylie Christmas was recorded at Angel Recording Studios and Sarm Music Village, and features both classic Christmas songs and new original material. The album's production was handled by Minogue, along with producers Steve Anderson, Ash Howes, Richard "Biff" Stannard, Charles Pignone, Matt Prime, and Stargate. Minogue served as the executive producer for the album, which is her second time taking on this role after her work on her 2014 album Kiss Me Once. The standard edition of the album includes ten cover songs and three original tracks, including two co-written by Minogue: "White December" and "Christmas Isn't Christmas 'Til You Get Here." The third original song, "Every Day's Like Christmas," was written by Chris Martin of Coldplay (with Stargate) and features backing vocals by Martin. The deluxe edition includes three additional original tracks: "Oh Santa," "100 Degrees," and "Cried Out Christmas," all co-written by Minogue.
Kylie Christmas blends elements of EDM, pop, and disco music with the classic Christmas genre. The album features live instrumentation on several tracks, with songs like "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow" described as having a "Vegas-style" feel, complete with horns, strings, and a touch of holiday "schmaltz." Other tracks, like "Every Day's Like Christmas," are modern pop ballads, while "White December" and "Christmas Isn't Christmas Until You Get Here" have a girl group-inspired sound. The album also includes classic Christmas songs like "Only You," which was not originally a Christmas song but was included as a "sweet" ballad. Other well-known festive songs such as "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Santa Baby," "Let It Snow," "Winter Wonderland," and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" are also included. The versions of "Santa Baby" and "Let It Snow" are particularly notable because the latter was re-recorded for the album, and the 2000 recording of "Santa Baby" had never appeared on any of Minogue's albums before.
Kylie Christmas was announced in October 2015 and released on November 13, 2015, as a CD and DVD bundle. The deluxe version of the album features sixteen songs, while the digital download and vinyl editions include thirteen tracks. The DVD contains six music videos. A limited edition white vinyl was released on November 27, 2015, while the deluxe edition features a gold ribbon on the cover.
The reissue of the album, Kylie Christmas: Snow Queen Edition, was released on November 25, 2016, and includes six newly recorded tracks. Minogue revealed the artwork and track listing for the reissue on November 2, 2016, and it became available for pre-order on her official website shortly thereafter. The album was officially released as a CD and digital download worldwide on November 25, 2016.
Minogue promoted Kylie Christmas with a series of high-profile performances. On November 24, 2015, she appeared on The X Factor Australia to perform "100 Degrees" alongside her sister Dannii Minogue. This was the first time the sisters had performed together on television in twenty-seven years. On December 8, 2015, Minogue performed "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" on the Royal Variety Performance. To promote the album, Minogue held a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on December 11, 2015, which was a sell-out show. She described performing at the Royal Albert Hall as a dream come true and expressed excitement about sharing a night of celebration with her fans.
In 2016, Minogue continued to promote the album with performances at the Royal Albert Hall as part of her A Kylie Christmas concert series. She made additional television appearances and performed the album's tracks, including "At Christmas" and "Wonderful Christmastime" with Mika. The Snow Queen Edition was supported by various performances and appearances, including a performance of "Night Fever" on the French TV program Quotidien.
The album’s first single, "At Christmas," was released on November 4, 2016, and premiered on BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans Breakfast Show on November 22, 2016. Minogue's cover of "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" by Rozalla was featured in a Christmas advertisement for British pharmacy chain Boots. The second single, "Wonderful Christmastime," was released with Mika on December 9, 2016, impacting Italian radio stations.
