It's Christmas Time Again
"It's Christmas Time Again" | |
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Song |
"It's Christmas Time Again" is a Christmas song by American vocal group Backstreet Boys. The song was written by Backstreet Boys members Nick Carter and Howie Dorough along with Mika Guillory and Morgan Taylor Reid in early October 2012,[2] and was produced by Reid.[3] It was originally written for Disney for the group's appearance at Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.[4] It is also the first song by the Backstreet Boys to feature Kevin Richardson's vocals in six years. Richardson left the group in 2006 and rejoined in 2012.
A sneak preview of "It's Christmas Time Again" was posted on the group's official website on November 1, 2012 and AOL Music premiered the full song on November 5, 2012.[5] "It's Christmas Time Again" was released digitally on November 6, 2012.[6] The Backstreet Boys performed the song publicly for the very first time on November 4, 2012 at the taping of Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade at Disneyland, CA. On November 14, 2012, the group debuted the song on national TV on the The Talk.
Background
The Backstreet Boys had been working on their eighth studio album since mid-2012 and they originally aimed to have something out before the end of the year[7] but later pushed back the release date for the single to early 2013.[8] When they got the opportunity to perform at Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, Disney gave them the option to sing their previous original Christmas song "Christmas Time" or a classic[4] but they figured they would write a new Christmas song instead which would also serve as a gift to their fans while they're waiting for the new album.[9] Dorough and Carter wrote the song in early October 2012 in about two hours and within a week they had the song not only demoed, written, but also recorded by the rest of the Backstreet Boys members. They then presented it to Disney, who quickly approved it.[4]
Critical reception
Artistdirect gave the song a positive review and 5 out of 5 stars,[10] describing the song as a "timeless Christmas anthem" with a smooth acoustic guitar build-up, resounding bells, and soaring five-part harmonies.
Charts
The song peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Holiday Digital Songs chart in November 2012.[11]
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
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United States (Billboard Holiday Digital Songs [12] | 1
Music videoThe music video for this song is animated, and was premiered on Artistdirect on November 15, 2012.[13] It features the members of Backstreet Boys as cartoon characters. References
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