Singer and songwriter Charlie Puth has questioned why Christmas music continues to follow the same sound every year. He raised the issue during an appearance on Billboard on 22 December 2025.
Puth posits that harmony plays a major role in defining the seasonal sound. “There’s a lot of chromaticism in Christmas music,” he said while demonstrating chord changes on a keyboard. He noted that similar progressions appear across many holiday records. These repeated musical choices make Christmas songs instantly recognisable, he says.
Charlie Puth On Tradition And Repetition
He also criticised the genre’s dependence on earlier decades. He explained that many modern Christmas songs deliberately reference the 1960s.
Christmas music is the only ‘genre’ of music where people reach for the really old stuff, Puth said.
To support his point, Puth referenced Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree”. He said, “That came out in 2011, but if you took out the modern production, that sounds like ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’” He also cited Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as another modern hit rooted in older musical ideas.
Other Sounds Within Christmas Music
Puth, however, acknowledged variety within the category. He mentioned Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” and the How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack released in 2000.
He also highlighted a less recognised section of the genre. He pointed to Christmas recordings by Luther Vandross and Boyz II Men as examples that offered a different direction.
A subgenre of Christmas music that is severely underappreciated is the R&B side of Christmas music,” Puth said.
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