Clay Aiken Releases New Rendition of 'Merry Christmas, Darling'

Multi-platinum artist Clay Aiken has released his soulful rendition of the holiday classic “Merry Christmas, Darling,” originally performed by one of his personal favorite artists, the Carpenters. With his signature style, Aiken brings a heartfelt warmth to the beloved ballad, evoking feelings of love, reflection, and the magic of Christmas. This track serves as the third single from his highly anticipated holiday album, ‘Christmas Bells Are Ringing,’ set to release on November 22nd. The album follows the debut of Aiken’s fresh takes on Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” and the timeless Bing Crosby classic, “Do You Hear What I Hear.”

Produced by Grammy Award-winner Ron Fair, the album marks Aiken’s first studio project in over a decade. ‘Christmas Bells Are Ringing’ brings a nostalgic yet contemporary twist to timeless holiday classics. Aiken has curated a mix of cherished seasonal standards, reimagined in his inimitable style, following a hiatus that included ventures into politics and time spent raising his teenage son.

The album is a celebration of Aiken’s return to the holiday music genre that helped solidify his place as a beloved artist. His previous holiday album, ‘Merry Christmas With Love,’ released in 2004, was a record-breaking success, selling nearly 300,000 copies in its first week and achieving platinum status. It became the best-selling holiday album of that year, earning Aiken three Billboard Music Awards.

The new record boasts fresh takes on holiday staples like Nat King Cole’s “Caroling, Caroling” and Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”, as well as a show-stopping rendition of “Pure Imagination” which reimagines the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory-classic as a fitting soundtrack for the holiday season. 

As 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of his classic album ‘Merry Christmas With Love,’ Clay Aiken’s latest project promises to bring the same timeless joy to listeners, making it an ideal soundtrack for the holiday season.

ABOUT CLAY AIKEN

Clay Aiken most recently joined forces with friend and fellow American Idol Ruben Studdard for a highly anticipated North American, 82-date concert tour, reuniting the pair twenty years after their appearance on the show. Clay starred on Broadway in Ruben & Clay’s First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show at the Imperial Theater. The New York Times called the production ‘A Christmas Miracle’. This came ten years after Clay’s critically lauded Broadway debut in Monty Python's Spamalot. Catapulting to fame on season two of American Idol, he became the first Idol alum in history to have his first single debut at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, to have a single certified platinum and to have an album certified triple platinum. As a concert artist he’s played some of the most iconic venues in North America, including on the 2003 Independent Tour which Clay co-headlined with Kelly Clarkson. 

Clay’s album, Measure Of A Man, also debuted at #1 with the highest first week sales by a debut artist. His 2004 holiday release, Merry Christmas With Love, set a record for the fastest selling holiday album of the SoundScan era and remains tied for the highest charting debut of a holiday album in Billboard history. He served 9 years as a UNICEF Ambassador and in 2003, he co-founded, with Diane Bubel, what is now the National Inclusion Project to advocate and increase opportunities for children with disabilities to be included in extracurricular activities (such as summer camps and after-school programs) with their non-disabled peers. Additional TV appearances include: 30 Rock, The Office, Scrubs, Days Of Our Lives, and Law & Order: SVU. Additional 2nd place finishes include: The Celebrity Apprentice in 2012 and the NC 2nd District US House race in 2014. Beyond all of his successes (and near successes) his proudest accomplishment remains his son, Parker. 

Photo credit: Curtis Brown Photography

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