This is why Taylor says the new version “has a deeper meaning than you might expect from a Christmas song”. It marks part of life’s ongoing journey, and understanding yourself. And part of that was appreciating that people were asking for her to do a Cindy Lou because it means something to them.
“To be a part of something that is so universally loved, and bring smiles to people’s faces every year is actually awesome,” smiles Taylor. “I realised: why am I spending my time as the only one being a Grinch about it?”
This is a major ingredient Taylor took into the studio to finally make Pretty Reckless Christmas. It’s them, with their own loud spin, and a dose of sarcasm among the cheer, but that simple feeling was one she wanted to spread around and pay forward.
“It was interesting to make a record where the only intention was to put some smiles on people’s faces,” she says. “COVID was hard, and the world is still really hard. It’s a hard time in everyone’s life right now. Something to make you feel good is something that everyone needs. And Christmas could always use a little bit of a revamp, throw some rock’n’roll in there. There’s not much rock’n’roll Christmas music.”
Is this your mission now, then? To rock up Christmas? You’ve gone all in on it, after avoiding it for so long…
“You have to fully commit!” she laughs. “I’m a completist, so I have to commit to everything I’m doing. I go in with both feet. And the funny thing about this Christmas record is, looking at it, it might seem like a departure, but it’s totally us. It just has a Christmas flair.
“It’s two sides of the same coin – as an artist, as me. It’s not a different me, it’s just a turn of the coin. It’s cool to embrace all sides and all aspects of yourself as an artist. If you’re shunning one side, you’re not being fully you. So, in that sense, this whole project has really helped me come to terms with a lot of stuff in my past, and I feel really good about it.
“I took this thing that I had shunned for so long in my life and turned it into something I can embrace. This is a part of me. In order to be your full self, you have to embrace all aspects of yourself. And this is a big part of me that comes around every year. So I turned it into something that is relatable, and it’s something that I can stand behind and feel proud of.”
